


A Wanton Girl

by EnidZsasz



Category: Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Fandom, TLJ, Tfa
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Rey is a Kenobi, Rey/ Ben Solo - Freeform, Rey/Kylo Ren - Freeform, Reylo - Freeform, Sex (eventually), The Force Ships It, angry rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-07-16 04:29:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16078445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnidZsasz/pseuds/EnidZsasz
Summary: Rey once was part of something great, something amazing, only to have it burned down to the ground and be the sole survivor other then Luke Skywalker. Left on Jakku her homeworld with Sor Lan Tekka Rey grows up mostly alone, and only staying because of her duty to her adoptive father. Only when what little home she had, was burned to the ground, she is left with a droid, a defected storm trooper and a rebellion pilot on the falcon. Feeling useless, she is captured on Takadona by someone she can feel she knows, though that is impossible isn't it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this AU Luke sensed Rey and brought her to his academy, but it was around a few months later when all that stuff happened, leaving Rey believing she is the sole survivor other then Luke who vanished. Luke put a sort of blocking wall in her so that she can't be sensed, but also can't really use the force. Poe also isn't separated from Finn in the crash. Also I should note that Han Solo does not make a appearance until AFTER the attack on Takadona. He 'gives' the beasts to the people along with the ship, before doing what Rey does, and stealing away on one of their ships. The Stuff with Kylo stays the same until Takadona.

She concentrated on the distant part, slowly working through the intense migraine which was starting to make her vision go black. Thankfully like most days she didn't need to worry about puking, she didn't have much in her stomach other then water. The part shook, like something had hit it, and then detached carefully from its wires and floated in air towards her. Once in arms reach she grabbed it, holding it to her chest as she gasped, breathing in deep breaths to try to batten down the pain blasting in her head. It was always like this when she did this thing, but the pain and suffering she was experiencing was worth it. She slid down the rope she was on, and landed a bit to roughly onto the ground but that didn't matter. She dismantled the part, and got at the shining little vial inside it. Hyperspace fuel, she smiled and let her breathing return to normal. Haziness edged around her vision, but it was a grand success. This was worth enough to give her and Tekka time, time and even CASH, even MONEY to get his leg fixed. 

Her heart beat quickly in her chest as she shoved the vial into her pocket leaving the subsidiary fuel line onto the ground. Most of the fuel had been harvested long years before she was born, but occasionally small vials like his one were found in the billions of miles of fuel lines in the black ships. Now she had one, and a good amount of parts for food right now. She would have to play this carefully, this was valuable, and not something she could just wave around like others would. Pick who to sell it to just as carefully, someone just about to leave Jakku, desperate for more fuel and willing to part with more then they liked. She smiled, pain damping down to nothing more then a intense ache, as she exited the Star Destroyer. It was little work getting her things onto the speeder, cobbled together from at least three different types of ships. The double engines coughed, and stuttered and for a panicked moment she thought they might not start leaving her to drag everything to Niima. But they roared to life a moment later, another stroke of luck. 

Rey raced towards Niima, the suns past their zenith, and quickly cleaned up the parts. It took little time at all, she ignored the clan with their blue tattoo markings on their face as they rumbled around Niima. One a mother smoothing down a dark haired boys banlick. It created a bit of an ache, so she quickly bent away from them as a teto yelled something at her. She ignored him, her migrain now more of a dull ache as she went to one of the more prominent, and her most hated, sellers. He was the only one she could go to sell hyperspace fuel if nothing else provided itself. Unkar Plutt stared down at her with his blubbous and rank sweaty smell that would make her vomit even without the migraine. He clucked over the parts and then down to her as if slightly impressed. "Fourteen portions, one half portion." he stated, she didn't argue which seemed to actually please him. Enough he slipped a quarter portion extra for not making an argument. "New Practice," he stated tapping the small bag. She only took it, and shoved the portions into her bag. 

It was only a moment, the sun was still out by the time she was back to the only place she could call home. Children excitedly crowded towards her, only ten even among the thirty or more people. Having children was an investment, was something you only did when you were rich in materials and food. Or healthy, and it was hard to remain healthy on Jakku. One of them, a little humanoid with three eyes babbled about how he found some old droid he wanted to fix up. She listened to them all carefully, and she could only get the barest sense of something before one of their parents eyed her expectantly, almost desperately. Oh... "Here." without a doubt in her she pulled out the portions, handing them out to the children, who received them gratefully, babbling and nearly crying. It was manipulation she was sure on their parents part, but for her it didn't matter. "Be sure to share them with your parents!" she scolded as the children bounded off, she was left with the few portions, handing one to a old cripple before standing uneasily before Sor Lan Tekka. 

He frowned at her, a bit before motioning her inside. The meal was quick, and he was mostly silent. Rey was a bit sick and worried about bringing up her find. Tekka made a light moan, and rubbed his leg, a broken bone that had never truly set right, and was all her fault. But now she could get that fixed, and not only that, with the tightening stranglehold this new first order was getting onto starship fuel, she could even get MORE. IF she could get a stash of these little things, then that only would leave them to live a life of luxury. They wouldn't have to worry about food, and could work for materials, get an actual settlement built, instead of the low sandstone buildings that occasionally crumbled down from the harsh dust storms. "Thank you Rey." he told her and motioned outside. "you are a true asset here." he smiled to her and finally, finally the migrine ebbed down. She smiled to him, and set about straightening the hut out, she had long since moved out and away to her own home, but she still came here. It was her steady rock, the one thing she could count on. 

"Sir... I found..." she began lowly, but he shook his head at her. 

"Rey, you need to leave." she blinked at that, and remembered he was meeting some rebellion person tonight. For what reason she didn't know, nor really cared to know at the moment. She stalled and worked her mouth open and closed. 

"What, what if I wanted to join!" she retorted. He shook his head and gave her a sad smile, she melted, any sort of resitance of staying, of maybe offering the fuel in exchange for joining the rebellion, of doing anything to get off the planet where she knew she could sent credits, of cash, of money down here to make these peoples lives better, left crumbling down into the black hole inside of her. 

"Rey it would kill me if you were hurt." he soothed and stood, putting a arm around her shoulder. "Please, we'll talk in the morning, I promise." she nodded, and hedged a smile towards him. She could hear a distant whine of a rebellion x-wing, and he motioned her out and away. She left quickly, crawling into the overturned Imperial Walker. She glanced to the wall of marks, and made another one. Another one since that day, she shook herself so she didn't think of it, and instead set to working in the fading sunlight on her staff. The extending arm on the end, which allowed her grab at distant objects had been finicky. It wasn't long before she was laying down on the small pad and falling asleep. 

The next thing that happened, jolting her awake as she felt someone die. Someone who she didn't necessarily love, but did care for. Tekka, Tekka was dead. She raced outside and stared out towards the distant settlement, it was too far to note anything, but a quick glance up confirmed it. The tale-tale blocking of stars, a large, even bigger then the ones she knew, Star Destroyer laid heavily in the night sky. More deaths, more lives snuffed out followed, people she knew, people that would now be gone forever. Rey slumped down onto the side of the still warm walker, and hugged herself, tears streaming down her face. She didn't sob, or inhale, the tears just slipped down her face as she shook there crying until with a finality one of the sun's rose with a red tint. Shivering Rey stood, and gathered her things, she needed to confirm what happened, bury the bodies...give them a proper funeral as she could manage. 

* * *

 

BB-8 wasn't exactly fast on the shifting sands, but he did cast a glance down back towards the settlement. The words of the old man, and his master, hung in his data banks. Find the girl, find the Rey of Jakku. She will get him to the rebellion with what he had now stored in him. It rolled blindly, that last explosion had flung out and currently its attend was bent, not allowing the droid to have full access to the various wireless networks. It would take days to fully download the map of this planet, so he rolled off blindly ignoring the sounds of explosions and blaster fire behind him. It was when daylight when he stalled hearing a distant speeder going towards where he left, but the droid choose to ignore that. Finally the last of the information came down, allowing him to turn, and head towards the largest outpost. He would have to go in lower power, his batteries were just over half charged now, and he didn't know when he would find this Rey. 

* * *

 

Rey very nearly sobbed out loud when she finally got to the ruins that was once a place she called home. Tallying up the dead, she thankfully didn't have to deal with the children who were just gone, vanished into the dunes running to Niima or more then likely taken by the First Order. In some small part of her, she knew they'd at least be fed at least, but shook herself, and stood over the only family she ever knew. Her parents sold her to Unkar Plutt, only to have LUKE, the name burned with a deep anger in her, pick her up and take her somewhere she felt like she truly belonged. She cringed away from the memories, refusing to ackowledged them as she dressed the quickly smelling bodies, dragging them out to the small graveyard by the settlement. It was little work compared to her daily running around in the broken Star Destroyers, but she buried them, with their few trinkets of religious natures, with their personal objects still in their pockets. She was sure the graves would be thrown out once known and the people stripped of anything they had, but she was going to respect them. She wasn't even going to barge into the homes and steal from the death. Just thinking about it left a bitter disgusted taste in her mouth. 

Leaving Tekka for last, nearly cut in half by some kind of weapon that left charged flesh, Rey wanted to cram her fist into her mouth to silence the sob, but her hands were dirty, with blood and sand so doing so wasn't possible as she laid her family to rest. She put in a tiny doll of hers, still with Tekka into his hands, just as a way of showing they were as much of a family as one could be. She buried him, throat burned raw from her sobs and the lack of water, but she wasn't done, using cast off metal, and fabric she wrote down all the names she remembered and placed them on the grave, choosing a more elaborate one for Tekka. She only touched her things in his home, she couldn't bare to stay for long and now feeling numb and broken in some way headed out towards Niima to report it. 

It was a series of beeps, angry and a Teto swearing at a droid that made her stop, something, some in her told her to stop, and to pull up by the Teto. Whether it was her face, or something else the Teto dropped the net he was holding and kicked his lugabeast into a short gallop away from her and the caught BB unit droid. She sniffed, and without a word cut the little droid free smiling towards it as it regarded her. "Don't worry, I'm..." she said and paused at the hoarseness of her voice. "I'm not going to sell you or take you, here." she reached out and took off its antenna. "Your antenna is bent." she smoothed out the wire and replaced it. The droid beeped something rapid at her and she regarded the information. "No, I can't take care of you." She stood and pointed out towards Niima outpost. "THAT is where Niima outpost is, you-" The droid cut her off with a another round of rapid beeps so fast the had to parce together what it said. "WHAT?" 

The Little droid seemed to sigh, nothing more then a slight roll back and tilting its head towards her. 'I am looking for a human female age aproixminately 19-twenty years old, brown hair named Rey.' it stated much more slowly. It regarded her, and its opitics shown a bit looking her over. 'are you Rey?' it asked. 

"Y...yes why?" In answer the droid pitched its rotund body forwards and showed her some kind of map. She quickly blinked at it, as the droid beeped blandly. 

'This is a map to skywalker, I need to get to the rebellion, and you need to be the one to take me. My master Poe Damereon was captured or killed by the first order and I need to get this information to the rebellion.' it explained as she tried in a vain way not to feel a sudden rage at the map and what it was. Luke, LUKE, **LUKE,** it was always about **LUKE.** She buried the emotions down, and sighed crouching down by the droid. It was getting late, and she still had a portion in her bag to eat. 

"I'll take you in the morning is that alright?" she asked it. Stopping the projection the droid made a affirmative and she helped it onto the side of her speeder before going to the only place of solace she had. Quietly she drank down the stash of water she had, survival was too ingrained not to, her stomach roiled but that wasn't a problem, she could eat anything on any sick stomach feeling. The droid was mostly silent, only asking to be charged, and she complied, easily rigging a port for it, and letting it tap into the batteries she kept to have lights in the walker. Still feeling numb Rey sat outside staring out into the sky as the sun sank below the horizon. How was she going to get off planet? She stuck her hand into her pocket, and found the bit of fuel there. It wouldn't be enough to actually buy a decent ship, but the heap that Unkar had it would be more then enough. There should be enough to get some food for the trip towards the system the droid had told her about. Heading back into the walker, Rey frowned at the rows of marks, this time she didn't make one, and instead rolled onto her side and hugged herself, she could be angry at Tekka, he had obviously hid this thing from her ever since she was given to him by that bastard. 

But the rage just wouldn't float up, wouldn't take her over and instead she was filled with a deep cloying sadness that now she was truly alone. There was no one left that knew about that day. Luke was utterly disregarded from that event from her. So now she sobbed, quietly and dryly shaking until her body ached with the effort of repressing the sadness. Now more alone then ever, she could only numbly comply with what the droid wanted, even if it meant having to face that bastard again eventually. A tiny trail of hope entered her, despite the lonely sadness that maybe, maybe he'd FINALLY tell her what happened that night. That she'd know what happened, even if it meant beating him half to death. She wasn't a child, and she was strong, soothed at that thought she finally slept. 

* * *

 

Poe gasped awake as he was pulled out from the wreckage, and dragged away by his new VERY VERY BEST FRIEND. The tie fighter sank down into the sands and a moment later spat up an muffled explosion as Finn, the defector panted by him. Looking to Finn Poe burst out a relived laugh and laid down despite the fact he hurt and ached all over his body. "We-We can't stay here! They have trackers on all their ships!" Finn told him, and with a bit of a lurch, he stood and nodded to Finn. His eyes tracked over the scenery, looking for map points, his eyes rested on a distant outcropping of rocks he knew it from his briefing. 

"This way, we need to get to some Outpost called Niima." Poe told his friend, Finn nodded giving a short smile, before looking him over, Poe was banged up, still aching and in pain from the torture, but none of that mattered, Right now they had to get to Niima, find that droid and get the kriffing hell off this planet. Hopefully that droid found that girl Tekka told it to find, and she'd kept his little buddy safe. 

* * *

 

"NO." Rey said strongly towards Unkar. She still held onto the fuel shining it as causally as she could manage despite how shaky she felt. Unkar was trying, vainly to gouge her. He growled spitting a few curses and swears at her that she ignored. She put the fuel back into her pocket, before moving away. 

"WAIT, I'll take your deal." he finally capitulated, and Rey grinned at her success. It didn't take long to have the ship fully signed into her name, choosing Rey Tekka in honor of her fallen adoptive father. Now burning in a firey desire to join the rebellion to do anything and everything in her power to utterly mangle what she could of the budding empire. She couldn't care less if she'd be sent on suicide missions if it meant finding the one who killed Tekka and end his or her life in the most painful way. She imagined it, putting Unkar in the place of the man just for a bit of spite she still held towards the bulbous creature before being broken out of the lovely imagine of Unkar begging desperately for mercy. 

'POE POE POE POE POE!' BB-8 screamed as it rolled very quickly onto the hard packed earth towards the two men, one a swarthy and in rough shape. The other a dark skinned man about her own age and looking baffled and confused a bit. 'Poe' the swarthy man rubbed an afectiate hand over the droid as it babbled happily at him. 

"LITTLE BUDDY!" he said excitedly as Rey walked towards them slowly. The dark man cast her a glance and then Poe straightened and regarded her before BB-8 with an almost painful slowness explained who she was. Poe looked her over and held out his hand, she shuffled a bit, the registration card still in her hands along with a small pistol blaster. THAT was what Unkar tried to gouge her on, she made the quick decision to be armed rather then food, she could live without food for a few days, that wasn't new. He pumped her arm enthusiastically and looked around. "Is there a ship we... can borrow?" he asked lowly, his eyes hit on a few distant storm troopers as the sound of tie Fighters began to swoop through. 

"Follow me, SLOWLY." she told them and they was causally as they could manage as the troopers spoke to a few people. In the last few leaping bounds they were on the ship, and quickly firing it up. Poe took the helm, 'Finn I'm Finn!' the dark man told her with excitement as he too the gunners hold, leaving Rey to be a copilot. It wasn't where she wanted to be, but with the quick praise this Poe gave her as she ripped off the compressor Unkar had put on the this ship she didn't mind. There wasn't much to escape from, the tie fighters were too busy trying to rack the outpost for them, but they were gone and away into space. A distant sort of pipe decided to fail, leaving Rey to fix it alone as Poe punched in coordinates to some planet and took off in light-speed. They only had enough fuel for one jump, and not that distant of a jump at that. 

While she did feel a bit superfluous, she listened to Finn in the calm aftermath of travel as he told her about how he escaped. While she felt a bit angry at how he had at least been there when the attack happened she gleaned info on WHO killed her Father. Some kind of monster called Kylo Ren. She breathed in at the knowledge chanting it in her head about just how she was going to end that things life even if it made her take her own. The ship gave a whole body shudder when it came out of hyperspace, and then landed on a lush green planet that made her eyes go wide. She didn't want to seem so ignorant preventing herself from speaking out in wonder as she sat by Poe. 

"Come on, we need to talk to someone called Maz, she's mostly nuetral but she'll help us." Poe explained, Finn shifted a bit, but nodded as the three headed into the castle. Rey wanted to run through the trees, wanted to feel every green thing she could see, and even the colorful blooms that several bushes sported. She breathed in, and felt herself almost swimming from the amount of oxygen on this planet. Jakku had hundreds of special towers to keep oxygen being produced and were the most guarded things on the planet. Now on this planet that just made it all in trees she almost could swim from the amount on the planet. She followed Finn and Poe and paused on the threshold of the castle. A cantina, these things changed little and she straightened herself making herself less of a target just on principle. Several eyes tracked them, but they sat before a table piled with various shiny colorful fruits. 

Without a thought she tucked into them, as a tiny woman waddled up to them with a frown. "Poe Damereon." she clucked her tongue at him and looked to Finn and Rey. Rey blanched a bit put down a half eaten fruit with some kind of stony center. "Oh dear eat as much as you like, this planet has an abundance." Rey grinned towards her and finished the fruit, setting aside the center, maybe it was edible, maybe not, but it could wait. 

"Maz, we need fuel." Poe said plaintively, and the old creature sighed, and got onto the table with them. The discussion Rey was blind to, until a soft sort of whisper brushed against the back of her head. It made her freeze, and look behind her. It brushed against her again as Poe set into a banter with Maz, Finn easily following along with the two as she slipped away and down into the basement of the place. BB-8 beeped, towards her, and followed her down. Curious as to what she was doing, she was still part of his mission, they weren't with the Rebellion just yet. 

Rey stared at a small box in a storage room, the whispering in her eyes almost becoming a dull roar, it had a lock on it, but it lept open like a freshly oiled piston. A strange weapon tingling with a deep familiarity sat heavily in it as if drawing her in with its own gravitational pull. Taking a small breath she grasped the hilt, and was pulled into a vision of death, of fire of a darkly clothed man and a helmet slaughtered people. She was blasted backwards as that man reached out towards her, knocking her into the wall just outside the room. 

"Hey kiddo." Rey froze, the voice was older then she remembered, but she turned and stared wide eyed at Luke. He gave her a smile, confusion was too far into her mind, he looked so old as he sat on some pile of rubbish. "I need your help." he stated as she stared at him silently. She shook herself pushing herself up as she gaped at him, she wasn't angry just yet, she was far to confused at what was before her. Picking up a small pebble she tossed it at him, the pebble passed through him and he gave her a strange sort of look. 

"Wh...what do you want..." she asked lowly. She can be angry at him later, maybe she didn't need to try to kill him to get him to tell her what happened. 

"I... we of the Rebellion need someone to... be in the first order and relay information to us." he stated simply. She blinked to him and then gaped at what he was getting at. He wanted her to be a SPY, utterly untrained and only thrust into the rebellion just hours ago. She considered it quickly... "you'll find out who killed Tekka." Luke told her mildly. That was all she needed. 

"What do I need to do?" she asked him, he gave her a smile. A moment later she paced outside, thinking, BB-8 followed her and beeped a bit questioningly at her. She couldn't do this, she didn't want to be a spy and was sure she couldn't hide from this Snoke person. Some person who could use the force. Luke had told her nothing, she demanded to him to tell her, he only vanished. Leaving her alone to head to the main rebel headquarters for training. She paced, going in a round clearing unable to enjoy the verdant forest as her stomach twisted around and around as to what to do. 

* * *

 

Kylo Ren stayed steady as success was in his hand. Not only was the traitor, the droid, and the Rebellion pilot all in the same place they were nearby leaving him to be able to be in this military transport and destroyer in moments. He made the decision, despite the ranting of Hux, to stay on the far side of the planet leaving the ships to travel the distance just on the surface of the planet. "Sir." A trooper said and held out a data pad to him. "The droid was spotted with a girl." Ren frowned under the mask staring at the quick drone picture of the little white and orange droid following a slim figure into the forest.

"Divert towards the droid, have the rest take care of the traitor and pilot." was all he said. They relayed the information quickly, and the ship was set down distantly from where the two were. Leaving him to exit and breath in a few breaths to finally get what he wanted. 

* * *

Rey swayed a large explosion ripped through the earth and an attack quickly too over the castle. BB-8 beeped in alarm, as several tie fighters roared over firing blindly onto the castle. "GO HIDE!" she told it, the droid still had the map to Luke, and she couldn't let it be captured, that much was what a rebellion solider would do. A trooper moved out into view, and looked up to her rising his blaster rifle. It was a snap decision, she snapped her pistol up, and fired it at him, hitting and from the shudder she could feel, killing him almost instantly. Another trooper rocked out, going to his fallen comrade before looking up to her, she ducked into the forest, putting as many trunks and distance between her and the troopers as possible. Thankful for just a moment that they were heading for her, and not the droid so he could hide. 

She paused, and dived into a crevice pushing herself through it and coming out into a small clearing panting and trying to calm her racing heart. Which is why she started, when turned, and saw the very monster who she had just witness murdering people. Of reaching out to her, and blasting her back, she rose her blaster and fired, he swatted the bolt aside with a red saber, moving faster then she could see. She fired blindly, backing away hoping she wouldn't catch herself, on Jakku it wouldn't be a problem, there were no tree roots. He swatted each bolt away, each attempt of her attack away like it was the easiest thing to do. Like he was just playing with her. She glanced down and behind her quickly as her heel hit into a tree root, then realizing the mistake quickly turned back just as that force, that strange energy engulfed her making her freeze still. 

Even her breathing was controlled as the humanoid dropped his hand, and whirled his red lightsaber before turning it off, and pacing towards her. He regarded her curiously and stopped an arm's breath away, studying her as if she were some fascinating insect he was deciding as if to crush. "You would _KILL_ me, knowing nothing about me." he spoke, voice modulated and distorted from some kind of thing in the mask, thought that didn't stop the impressed and surprised tone. She could speak, and took a short breath. 

"Why WOULDN'T I kill you?" she snapped defiantly. "I know about the first order, I know about-" she stopped strangling herself before she could reveal too much. She wasn't stupid, she needed to get out and away. 

"I would say otherwise." he sounded almost mornful. "But that is a small thing, simple ignorance are easily remedied." she blinked as he spoke to her, pacing around her to her back making her heart race. She wanted to follow him with her head, but could only spin her eyes to the side in an attempt to locate him. "So afraid." he mumbled lowly. "Yet I should be the one who's scared." He waled around to her other side, coming back to her front before heading back behind her as he spoke. " _You shot first_." he accused mildly. "And yet it is _I_ who was forced to defend myself against _YOU_." Having circled her again, he moved closer to her, leaning closer to her face seeming to stare with hidden eyes deep into her. She hoped the droid made it out and hid himself as the thing lit the red lightsaber up and pondered her more deeply. "There... there is _something._ WHO are you?" 

* * *

Shutting down and belting his lightsaber Red contemplated his captive. Some part of her seemed to ring some kind of familiarity in him, he ignored it, he's seen thousands of people, hundreds of women, having one familiar one wasn't odd. He reached up, slowly, and touched her face, her muscles and skin jumped at the contact but she was still under his will. The pressure he applied wasn't physical, it was purely mental as he sent an almost gentle probe towards her racing mind. She was wondering if he was going to kill her and hoped it would be painless, but also... She was refusing to meet the eye holes of the mask desperately straining against the intrustion he applied. Her mental agony was keen, she could barely breathe, and focused on trying to move anything. A hand, a foot, even a damned little toe to wiggle she could break away and kick him between his kriffing legs. 

Oh he had been breifed of some girl that was with the two he wanted, some silly scavanger from that worthless planet, evidently just throwing herself into the rebellion after purchasing a ship. A silly idealest like fed even stupider stories of the rebellion glories with none of their follies. But there was something, a droid, THE droid to be exact. He was surprised by what little he could glean from the circumstances, he dropped his hand, and she gasped in long draughts of air as he drew away from her mind. His brows drew together was and he was nearly amazed. 

"Is it true then? You're really nothing special after all." he had expected at least a tiny bit of some kind of smuggler, loosing their ship and buying it back, or someone partically famous from that junkyard. "You're just a-Jakku scanvanger?" he tried not to let his disapointment color his voice. As hard as it was to tell from the modulation, her pupils went a bit wide. 

'How did he know that?" she agonized clearly in her mind, he didn't even need to apply any pressure to hear it. She vainly, tried to keep her mind blank, as surely as she could she hadn't thought it, and if he had seen that then he would have seen THE droid. He frowned, and now touched her again. Now tears sprang to her eyes from his intrustion, mental pain blaring into his mind from hers. He was within her thoughts, and she tried to hide things, like a child trying to pull a rug over a broken toy or glass. There was NOTHING, NOTHING she could do, nothing she could try to keep him out. To resit his probe but she did keep trying, heart racing pitfully in her chest. 

"hmm..." he mumbled softly and nearly flinched at the soft sound it was as if he was trying to soothe her. "You've met the traitor who served under me. The rebellion pilot. Minor annoyances growing larger then they deserve." he drew back no longer touching her, but still in her mind as she fought against him, heart still racing she was on verge of passing out, but he wouldn't let her, not forcing calm on her, but forcing it so she couldn't stop breathing and pass out. "You are begining to care for them, such weakness, such distractions." he mused, then suddenly hit on something. She hid it, but it was the droid, the map, it was only a suggestion of the thought, but he didn't want to press when she was so close to passing out. 

"THE MAP!" he pressed his face close to hers, and her sudden gasp was all he needed to confirm it. "You're seen it! Its in your mind right now!" She gulped and again fought against him, railing against his probe and mind. She wanted to scream, to get any sort of help at all but he wouldn't let her. He rose his hand again to her face, she looked to it her eyes as wide as plates and nearly black from fear, he almost regretted it. She looked frail and like a little child begging for their life and hoping that just because they were a child they were worthy of life. But she wasn't a child, at least not one that would make him stall enough.

* * *

Near the castle a fight was broken out among catina vistors and troopers, from Finn, Poe, and Maz, to everyone. Maz put a saber into Finn's hands as he lost his blaster rifle, and pushed him towards a large troper, one he knew. Finn panted a bit in fear, but he mastered it, he had to fight, and find that girl, that droid, and help Poe. All Poe needed was to get to a ship, where he was currently slinking towards low on the ground. It was a bit of a shock when x-wings started to roll towards them, exiting hyperspace as Poe reached some vessel and got it into the air. They fired and exploded a set of two tie fighters as they swooped in to save them all. 

* * *

At the sound of the nearby explosions Ren ceased his probings but he did not remove his hand from her face, instead drew back to glace upwards. He pulled his mind away from hers leaving her whole body shivering in relief. She remained standing, still unable to move gazing blankly into the distance as she came back to the front instead of the just purely mental battle. A clutch of storm troopers breathing hard came towards him through the trees. 

"SIR," the leader gasped, his alarm and dismay more then evident. "Resitance fighters!" 

Ren considered. Though he was not utterly the leader or in charge of such things no actual officer other then general Hux would actually attempt to overrule him. And Hux was not present here. "Pull our troops out, we have what we need." the girl's fear was sudden as a punch to his gut. Not only was she being tortured, at least mentally, she was going to be taken, she was WORTHLESS, didn't he say she was just a scavenger? The leader lingered a moment to relay the information and then watched in fascination as Ren made a motion, crushing the girls mind into sleep.

She slumped onto the cool ground and as a set of x-wings, following some terrible light craft with black markings swept by chasing a set of tie fighters and easily destroying them. The trooper had no wish to join the girl on the ground as Ren bent down, and picked up the girl in his arms, carrying her slumped body as if she weighed nothing. The troopers flanked him, as they hurriedly left the clearing to his transport, and then lifted up into the air. Dodging the rebellion fighters was easy, this was just a fleeing transport ship and the blowhards would rather chase harder prey no matter WHO or rather what was on this ship. It wasn't as if the rebellion wouldn't attack fleeing troopers, they were true nothings, and there was a distant sort of feeling he repressed. No one cared for the troopers, they were disposable. 


	2. Amelioration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey wakes as a 'guest' and some truths are found, and some not so true things.

Rey woke slightly disoriented, she half expected to be dead, or in serious pain but at the moment her body was latched onto a large table tilted at an angle. Wrists and legs bounded it in thick metal cuffs tightened to be nearly cutting off circulation. She breathed out, not dead yet at least and closed her eyes in what little relief that would be. Her stomach crawled with both hunger and knowledge that whatever relief that would be should be short lived. She was going to be tortured for that map BB-8 showed her. The Map to LUKE. A slight movement drew her to what she could have assumed was a silent statue or a droid dressed to be intimidating. He didn't move, he seemed to be barely breathing but it was still the same creature, the same monster man as before. 

It was a bit startling but since he didn't seem to take note of her awakening she cast a quick look around as much as she was allowed. A small room all things considered, a row of computer banks, likely all pertaining to the torture bed she was strapped to. She cast a fretful glance up at a silent torture droid hanging there like an ominous chandelier. She was left in such utterly different surroundings then where she was last. From green moss to sterile metal, from fertile greenery to cloying death. It nawed at her stomach, but she focused back at the man who had caused her such pain from before. Who had frozen her in place with that strange force that felt so familiar. The silence edged on, and she thought he COULD be sleeping, that would explain the stillness right? Maybe she can shock him enough to force a quick death rather then the slow one that evidently awaited her. 

"Where am I?" she asked, if he noticed her speech he didn't seem to move. It was only when the silence stretched into uncomfortable delay that he spoke, leaving her to sigh in some kind of relief. 

"Does the physical location really matter that much?" he questioned, the tone might have a gentleness to it. Not sympathy, but something less then outright hostility. He seemed to shift, nothing more then a slight slump of the massive shoulders. "You are my guest." he told her. With an ease that was far more frightening then him actually getting up and beating her he waved his hand and with a couple of metallic clicks her restraints fell free. She quickly rubbed her wrists and with a wary glance, leaned down to rub her legs as well to bring feeling back to her extremities. Taking this into stride, she took a steady breath to at least show him she wasn't afraid to be tortured, to then die, either giving up the information in her head or not. She had high hopes she could, it wasn't as though she LIKED Luke, but it was the principle of the matter rather then care for the old man. 

She looked around confirming that they were indeed alone. "Where are the others?" she half expected those she had traveled with to be dead. Yet more unknown, yet known to her people dying. More bodies to bury somewhere in her mind. "The ones who were with me." she said quickly as he sat up just a little straighter. He sniffed as in disdain. 

"You mean the traitors, murderers, and thieves you call friends?" he questioned. Did she think he was amused, or was it just her dread? "Consider the question quite carefully, I could easily tell you they were all killed." Rey's heart beat started to finally catch up with her waking mind, whatever calm stillness she had was not quickly teetering into panic and fear. Adrenaline started to flood her system and she eyed him in a clinical fashion, could she take him? Humanoid species were all similar enough, and stated herself. Yes. But let that be a surprise. Oblivious to her thoughts he continued, but maybe something else colored his voice, still that amusement she suspected. "Righteously slain in battle. But I would prefer," he cocked his head at her curiously. "To be honest with you. You will be relieved to hear that as far as their current status and well-being is concerned... I have no idea." 

She blinked to him, not willing to admit that yes she was relieved. Whatever few hours or a scant day she spent with those two they were friendly and kind. Worthy of a place in her head and her thoughts. Though at the moment he was calm, she could not escape that feeling from before. Like she was nothing but a curiously new insect being studiously monitored before it was killed and put on a delicate pin. A wrong word, a try for escape, or to put him down might set him off. _'Be very careful with this person.'_ she told herself. But he looked to her again, as if he could clearly hear her thoughts for all the chance she could hide her want to escape, or her dread at torture she might as well just voiced them aloud. 

"You still want to kill me." he murmured still just as softly. But now her true self shoved itself to the fore, and what felt like old angers sang into her veins. 

"That happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask." she snapped quickly glaring to him. She wasn't dumb, Finn had told her some masked man killed Tekka, she knew in someway like she knew the moment Tekka died that this was the one who killed him. Oh if she had something other then her hands and feet, or her staff she would show him exactly just how angry she was. He'd never get the chance to regret the action of hurting her father. She had just a moment to regret the snap, before he moved, like a snake uncoiling. Fear clutched at her quickly, but all he did was reach up and unlatch the mask on his face and remove it from his head. They both regarded each other in silence. 

His face was narrow and though not exactly remarkable, it was sensitive. The type that would always wear emotions if he didn't appear in a cool utter control of himself. Dark wavy hair framed his pale face and his dark intense eyes almost seemed to bore into her soul. She could see him on the dusty streets of Niima, maybe some kind of explorer, or someone new. Not someone who stuck the planet, just another passing spirit wandering about the junk. But the intense simmering behind his eyes were not from there. No one, not Unkar, Tekka, or even just passers through had those intense eyes. 

"Is it true?" He finally asked, she only realized she had been focusing on him, and he her, there was something in her head that went 'ting'. Like she had seen him before, and crushed those memories down. No, they were all dead. She had seen similar faces, but none were those she did once know from THEN. From that place she well and truly called a home. She looked away from him to spare herself from his dark eyes and focused on his boots instead. Let him think she was cowed. "You're just a scavenger?" She flinched, with the bringing up of the memory of something she was part of, something terribly important and special down to being this... she tried not to show any shame. But he seemed to sense it, and changed the subject quickly. "Tell me about the droid." he asked, no he demanded lowly. 

Rey swallowed, the droid was still silent and still above her and dread made her mouth dry. "Its a bb unit with a selenium drive and thermal hyperscan vindicator, internal self correcting gyroscopic propulsion system optics corrected to-" he cut off her ramble. 

"I am familiar with general droid technical specifications. I don't need to acquire one." his face was still and almost looked bored. "What I want, is located in its memory. Its carrying a section of a transgalactic navigational chart." her heart beat started to race again, she buried the memory as far down in her head as possible. "We have the rest, recovered from the archives of the Empire. We need the last piece. Somehow, YOU, convinced the droid to show it to you. YOU. A simple solitary scavenger. How is that?" she glared to him, he was the reason she was alone she knew. But she looked away. How could he know that BB-8 had done that? By the same somewhat familiar but unknown means that he used to learn everything else? She hoped it was just superior technology. That would ease the churning in her gut. 

"I know you've seen the map," he repeated as if scolding a child. "Its what I need. At the moment, it is ALL I need." some part of her slumped in relief. But she stayed silent and dared to glare at his neck. He sighed, putting his hands onto the bench he sat on. "I can take whatever I want." his voice pitched just a little higher, as if trying to cajole her into answering before she was tortured. Maybe, just maybe it was pity, or something similar. But she tilted her chin up, and met his gaze defiant to her last breath.  

"Then you don't need me to tell you anything." she told him. He sighed again and stood, her muscles tightened, preparing for the coming pain. 

"True," he resigned. "I would have preferred to avoid this." she wanted to snort but held it back lest it provoke him to anger. "Despite what you may believe, it gives me no pleasure. I will go as easily as possible," did she only imagine the softness to his voice as he spoke? "But I WILL take what I need." She knew trying to resist him physically would not only be useless, but probably call the droid to do some very, very painful and unpleasant things. She remained motioned, putting her arms at her sides as his hand rose towards her face. She couldn't stop the flinch, whole body jerking into the cold unforgiving metal. 

He hesitated, what was that? Something there, and unexpected, but he touched her again the leather glove warmed by his hand almost gently touching her cheek as he sent something into her mind again. She worked, everything she had to resist and could feel him just brush aside her attempts as awkward as they were to keep him out. While he investigated her mind he spoke softly, bust also distantly. "You've been so lonely." he mumbled. "So afraid to leave that clan." A thin smile crossed his face. "At night so desperate to sleep you'd imagine an ocean. I can see it, I can see that island." 

Tears sprung up and down her face, she had never told anyone not even Tekka about the island, but whether the tears were from the strain of keeping him out or having her private thoughts laid bare she became more desperate to keep him out. She moved, to punch the side of his face, but just like in the forest her whole body refused to respond, she was trapped again. "And Tekka," he continued relentless. "you think of him like a father. That is a dead end, a mere vision. Let it go, I can tell you that for a fact that fathers will always disappoint you." 

She turned to him, and he was only betrayed by a blink at her sudden fierce rage as she glared into his eyes. "GET." she began through clenched teeth. "OUT-OF-MY-HEAD." His lips twitched, maybe a smile, but her outburst only made him lean closer. She could only feel more helpless as the rage faded being very rapidly replaced by fear.

"REY." her name coming from his lips made her flinch again. How did he know her name? "You've seen the map. Its in there, and I'm going to take it." he drew back just a tiny bit, leaving her to sigh in relief. "Don't be afraid, I feel the pain too." he soothed. She'd continue to defy him, he was her enemy. 

_"I'm not giving you anything."_ she hissed out. His response showed his unconcern of her defiance. 

"We'll see." Narrowing his gaze and his focus back into her eyes he locked her gaze with hers. She would have looked away if she was just a little more afraid, but she was so very angry, and did her best to ignore the fear and focused on glaring into his dark eyes. It would have been the rational thing to do, the sane thing to do to look away from her torturer. But she glared into him, trying not to flinch at every single breath he took, she didn't even want to blink to avoid the stare. If he was going to torture her, she wasn't going to look away. Let him know every pain and hurt she felt. 

* * *

 

_'Ah,'_ Ren thought to himself. _'Something there, something interesting.'_ Not the image of the map, that would take another moment, maybe a sudden prompt from his lips to bring the memory to the fore so she could have any quick attempt to block it. But this, this was something worth investigating. He shifted his perception towards it, seeking to find what it was, identify it and to analyze it-

The barrier he encountered stopped him cold. And it was he, Kylo Ren who finally blinked, it made no sense. He pushed hard, with his mind, and the probe slid off the barrier. But with a tiny gasp of renewed pain form the girl before him he pushed again, and the barrier didn't break, but a part of it moved, shattering like a broken pane of glass. He felt the girl in his own mind, stunned as she seemed to be drawn towards his fears, the depths of his own mind as he could only let a single shiver go through his body. 

"YOU." he hear her saying clearly. "You're afraid that you will NEVER be as strong as... DARTH VADER." He pulled away from her taking his hand off her cheek as if she were a white hot piece of metal stumbling and confused. Her eyes weren't the same, the fearful but almost mad little girl. Something in them, a hardness, not rage but something else, her posture even changed, as if freed from his hold. He moved to leave, grabbing the helmet, and then gestured to her, snapping the restraints back onto her limbs. He donned his helmet and was gone, down the corridor breathing hard. He did not know what had just transpired in the holding cell. He was spared further confusion as a trooper walked towards him making him straighten. 

"SIR! The Supreme Leader has requested your presence." he trooper tried to sound calm but was evidently agitated. He nodded to the man and followed the trooper allowing his mind to trail back to the girl. She was familiar, and his memories of that night came back. He always thought that little one had been slain, killed dead not by his hand but by one of the others or perished in the fire. It was the buns on the back of her head that should have prompted the memory, but then again, he tried to keep his memories of that night buried deep in his mind. They were too painful to bear most of the time, not the firey deaths, or the violence or the betrayal, but the soft happy memories of faces he once knew. The little gap toothed child smiled up to him fiercely loyal to the prince of the academy like a puppy. He shook the memories out from him before he faced Snoke. His master wouldn't be pleased at his focus at such happy memories. 

* * *

 Rey was left on the bed alone and nearly shaking, she remembered that fear deeply and keenly in all the memories she repressed deeply in her mind. Of those happy times at home. Instead of letting the memories stay buried and dead she called them up unable to stop the tears from coming back to her eyes. She had been so scared, and fled to somewhere small and safe. To a place where no giant thing could reach her, She slept there and woke to find fire, and death. She woke to find Luke nearly weeping with that old and silly astromech droid, confused at the fire, at all the death around Luke looked to her. His reaction scared her, but he quickly swept her up, and locked her into a small ship. She was left alone for hours, maybe even a whole day shaking and weeping in confusion and fear before he silently came back. He looked broken. "Here." he numbly handed her food, she ate, watching him carefully. "Rey, something bad happened." he admitted. She nodded waiting sick with worry and a child's misunderstandings. 

"Okay, is everyone okay? Where is Ben?" she asked. Luke went completely still as if she had hit him over the head. Ben, the name rung in her adult mind, bringing the gawky young man to the fore. No. Rey's mind raced, NO NO NO. It was impossible. "They are all dead." Luke's voice rang in her head strongly. "ALL OF THEM." he repeated, as if pushing into her mind. Something hurt her then, and she fell into blackness. But it had to be him, they were similar enough right? Ben Solo, her idol, who she wanted to be as a little girl. Someone who almost had a effortless strength and never let any of the other kids push her around or push him around. Something teetered in her, she needed to confirm it. A Storm trooper, a evident guard walked in carrying a blaster. She flicked her gaze to him wary, focusing on her memories of this encounter with what HAD to be Ben. 

* * *

In the Vast, darkened assembly chamber of Star Killer base there were only two figures. One a living creature the other something else entirely, not just a hologram, although that was what it was. Its mental presence was thick in the air, almost weighing it down with such a heaviness that it choked. Kylo Ren, the living creature, was tall and uncertain in the chamber, and Snoke, the Supreme Leader was looming. For the isolation of the large room, fully to large for the relatively simple technology and simple function, they both seemed to fill the room. There was as much curiosity to Snoke's voice as the thing allowed to have emotion, it only slightly colored by keen disappointment that cut like chill knives. 

"This scavenger, this GIRL, resisted you?" he asked lowly. Ren shifted, not sure if he should bring up what he knew. 

"IF that is all she is, yes. A scavenger from that inconsequential Jakku. Completely untrained but strong with the force!" Ren dared to pace a step, then remembered himself. No not fully untrained, but it was like she had been scrambling, basing it only on hazy...memories of something. "She is stronger then she knows." His mask off, Ren replied what would be his usual self assurance, not one else would have sensed a difference, of anything hiding. 

"You cared for her." Snoke said. His heart was the only thing that betrayed Ren. "She was there." Snoke confirmed, voice a bit distant. "You still have compassion for her." 

"NO. Never compassion? For an Enemy of the Order?" Ren hedged. Another surivior, one who wasn't a part of the Empire another one of those students. It was impossible that she had lived. No, he figured it was improbable that she was alive. 

"I perceive the problem," Snoke intoned. "It isn't her strength that is making you fail. IT IS YOUR WEAKNESS." the rebuke hurt, but Ren didn't show it. "Where is the droid?" he demanded. 

Smooth and oily, the voice of General Hux rang out in the assembly hall before Ren could answer, he didn't flinch, didn't show his surprise that Hux was allowed into this meeting. "Ren believed it was no longer of value to us." Turning, Ren followed the approach of the confindent Officer. "He believed the girl was all we need." Always ready to one up him was Hux, it would leave him angry, if Ren allowed the emotion to surface. "As a result the although we cannot be fully certain," He cast a glance to Ren then back to Snoke's massive hologram. "It is likely the droid is in rebellion hands." Snoke was visibly angry, it was a rare sort of emotive response. 

"Have we located the Rebellion base?" Snoke asked. Hux was clearly gratified and happy to be the bearer of good news. 

"We were able to track their ships to the Ileenium system, we are coordinating with our own reconnaissance crafts and spies in the area to confirm and to track down the specific location of their main base." 

"We do not need it." Snoke replied with cold satisfaction. "Prepare the weapon. Destroy the system." Collected and composed as he was Hux was not immune to surprise. 

"The SYSTEM? Supreme Leader according to the most recent galographic at least two and possible three habitable worlds circle Ileenium." Hux paused as if seeing if he could continue. When there was a beat of silence he did so. "We could instead direct towards the Honisan worlds and flush them out like a nest of ants. Sweep them out at our leasurie. We will then have the location of all their main bases as they flee-" Snoke cut him off. 

"We will do as you seek Hux. Destroy the Hosian system. Hours that may permit as little as one ship to depart to its home could even allow us to track to Skywalker." He paused to the officer. "However that one little ship may go to Skywalker, to convince the last Jedi to join back with the rebellion and destroy us all, I WANT **BOTH** systems destroyed HUX." Ren dared to speak up finally. 

"NO-Supreme Leader I can get the map from the girl and that will be the end of it!" The two turned to him. "I just need your guidance." He said softly, bowing his head to Snoke respectfully. 

"AND you promised me when it came to destroying the Resistance you wouldn't fail me." The figure threatened leaning forwards to Ren. "Who knows if copies of the map had been made and sent out of the system to every personage of the rebellion?" Snoke paused. "To outposts, to those who are most utterly aware of Skywalkers importance? Destroy that, destroy them. We may at least feel a little more confident that the way to Skywalker is eradicated." He sat back, Ren tried not to feel relieved. "For that reason alone I would order the destruction of the system, even if there was no assurance it would also put the end to this accursed map." He turned to Hux. 

"General the weapon should be prepared for the Hosian system, see to it" 

"YES SUPREME LEADER!" Hux practically glowed with confidence snapping to attention leaving at a hurried step. Eager to commit genocide. That left Snoke to fix his gaze on the sole occupant of this place.  

"Kylo Ren, it appears that a reminder is in order." Ren felt a sick sort of feeling come into him. "SO I will show you the dark side. **BRING THE GIRL TO ME**." 

* * *

Still shackled an unable to move Rey laid on the platform, she had been able to resist. To be able to fight against his mental probe. It was a miracle her head wasn't filled with that familar migraine, but it wasn't there. She felt no lingering pain, no hazy vision or sick with nausea. But more then resistance, she felt that same fear that Ben had been. She was sure now, the semblance was clear. From gawky youth to full grown man. She had been in his mind, and felt his shock, his fear, and then concern before he retreated. He pulled away from her and her mind, with a suddenness that spoke not of fright, but something else. What power she had, seemed to have been freed. That he had broken that thick wall that was placed in her head and its pieces, pieces like her mind had thrown him off balance. He was gone, but she knew he would be back, and she now had the chance to flee. To get back to the resistance, and demand... she shook her head.

She'd do anything to avoid, _HIM_ ,  and focused on the trooper in front of her. The memories of training, however distance came to the fore and she pressed her own mind to the trooper. He was bored, and hungry, it stirred her own stomach as a reminder of her own lack of food. "YOU!" she shouted and he turned to her, almost amused she dared to sound confident. She addressed him clearly, and not just with her voice but her mind as well. "You will remove these restraints and leave this cell to retire to your quarters." He eyed her silently, he didn't even move an inch. 

"I'll TIGHTEN those restraints." the guard almost laughed, but she pressed again, the weight of her mind heavy on his as she also corrected the order. 

_"You will remove these restraints. And you will leave this cell. WITH the door open. And you will retire to your living quarters. Speaking of this to no one."_ her mind pressed at how hungry and bored he was, and how compliant she'd be. She wasn't going to flee, how absurd would that be? Raising his blaster, she had a quick moment of fear, but he moved to her, and unlatched the restraints, turning on his heel, _"AND DROP YOUR BLASTER."_ she nearly crushed him, the trooper staggered, but complied as he left. She stared at the open portal, to the blaster before leaping to it checking it quickly. Safety off, she looked down the corridor, silent of everything say for the leaving trooper happy that he could go get something to eat. 

Taking a single step outside the door she froze, unable to move herself. She had to know, Stepping back she shut the door, and wedged herself into a hidden corner in wait. It can't be him can it? He was dead, Luke said he was dead. The similarity was keen, but it couldn't be him. Doubts ate away, making her stay in the corner in wait. She had a weapon, she had surprise. She was going to get answers. 

* * *

Ren struggled to control himself. A great deal of his education had been devoted on how to live, just to live and move forward in life without emotion. Right now he needed every bit of the training, every bit of any of his old edifices. As bad as the girls expulsion of his mental probe, it was much worse that the girl was so obviously from that place. From L-, his enemies camp.  He didn't feel powerful, he felt so utterly diminished in strength. It was... relief, and that made him shiver a bit. That wee puppy of a girl was alive and from what he could see mostly well. He slowly became aware he wasn't alone. 

"Sss..sir." the man said. "we...we found a guard sent to girl." Ren froze still and turned to the young officer. "The girl has escaped." Panic raced into Ren, and he stormed out away from the guard to where the girl was held. He paused before it, and opened it, to find nothing, no girl, rage and panic took him a moment. 

"NO!" He would have continued, would have drawn the saber always at his side, but he was stopped by a dark turn of the force. He didn't glance back, Rey, that little puppy of a girl now grown held a troopers blaster to the back of his head ready to kill him. 

"B..." she forced out a single sort of sound. Her hands shook. "BEN." the name rang in him, she remembered him? "BEN SOLO!" she accused. He hadn't heard his name in years, and it brought an old ache. "YOU ARE BEN SOLO!" He reached out, and slowly, removed the mask again, tossing it with a heavy clunk onto the ground. She hesitated, taking a step back away from him, that darkness in the force of her ready to kill him vanished. He turned slowly towards her. She dropped the point of the blaster to his chest instead of his head. It was still lethal, but her face was straining. Waiting for him to answer something. He didn't need to read her thoughts, she needed to know, needed to know something so desperately that she would rather chance dying, rather chance torture to know. 

"Yes." he told her, she sighed, body relaxing by a hair. He could have grabbed the blaster rifle then force her back to the table, but he decided to allow her the control. "I am called Kylo Ren now." that was a mistake, she raised the blaster back to his head. 

"YOU KILLED MY FATHER." she snapped, the force swirled darkly, almost beautifully around her. 

"If he had just given me what I wanted I would have let him live." it was something of a lie. He didn't take much pleasure in killing, but she wavered. "If Luke hadn't left the map with him I wouldn't have even been there." he told her, that was more then true. She lowered the rifle again shaking. "He could have trusted you with it. Let you keep it, and you would have protected it." He pushed gentleness into his voice. Oh the anger wasn't entirely directed towards him, it was sharp and deadly yes, but indirect now. He strived to focus it on Luke. "What happened Rey?" he asked her so very gently he even surprised himself. 

"I... you remember?" she said quietly. He moved shrugging. "Remember, Lu-...Luke yelled at me for trying to manipulate Han to stay... to stay for you." He remembered it, she had shook crying. All she wanted was for that boy, that Ben who he was a long time ago to be happy. It was just a moment. They had been practicing that on each other, but Rey was so utterly inept. Until Han had arrived, dropping off some messages that were made by hand, not able to be trusted to intergalactic waves with the growth of the First Order. Ben asked if Han could stay for dinner, he knew Han would refuse which he did. But then Rey, REY shot out her mind to Han as Ben felt such disappointment and shame that his father couldn't bare to be near him, and manipulated him. 

_'No, I think I'd like to stay.'_ Han told him and smiled towards his son. Chewie almost roared in confirmation, he didn't protest Han's choices too much. Ben felt such elation, that he forgot he had felt Rey's manipulation. If only Han could just stay for a moment longer, see how strong his son had been getting he'd be PROUD. But LUKE, **LUKE** had felt it, and yelled to Rey. Han was surprised at the knowledge and left faster then he had made the kessel run. Rey shook, shaking and sobbing. She just wanted Ben to be happy, but **Luke** wouldn't have it, he was even on edge of banishing her out from the group when she just ran. It was something she always did when upset. He found her in a small space and soothed her. He wasn't upset at her manipulation, and actually propped her up. He was proud she DARED to do such a thing to a HERO. Soothed she went to sleep with the other kids, and then there was that night. It was THAT night, it happened. 

Ben-Ren shook himself to come back to the fore, Rey was silent as well. "I remember you." He told her, her shoulders slumped, relief flooded into her. Now he most definitely could have grabbed the rifle, it was now directed to the ground. "You had another nightmare?" he questioned, she was far away likely trying to repress those memories, but nodded. "Where did you hide?" 

"In... In a ship." she said blindly, then blinked tightening her hold on the rifle. "I ASK THE QUESTIONS!" she snapped, though not as angry as she was. She was relieved, so relieved she wasn't the last. "WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID THE FIRE START! Was it that kriffing droid?" he blinked. 

"What did Luke tell you happened?" he retorted, and dared a step to her. She gave ground, panic in her. 

"A FIRE, he said a fire!" she snapped the rifle to his chest and he stalled. No dark surrounded her, she was only holding it to make him stop. To try to deny the horrible truth that she may have touched on. "He said a fire killed everyone!" 

"That's not true." he told her, and despite the ache it made began to tell her, pushing the memory from his mind into hers. "He tried to kill me, he sensed how strong I was and couldn't bare it." he pressed, she drew back, her back hitting into the wall. He knew she could see the memory, her eyes went wide. She had sensed the lie from Luke, he wouldn't lie, well not with this. She was just a step away as he advanced on her again rifle hanging limply in her hands. "I was so scared, and so were a few others, no one would believe me." he pressed. She shivered, he put a hand on the rifle, not taking it from her hands, he was going to keep it harmlessly down. "You would have believed me." 

"OF..." she bit her lip not meeting his gaze. "Yes," she admitted. 

"They would have believed me through you. I **HATED** hurting them, but they wouldn't listen. They wouldn't stop trying to hurt me." killing children brought no victory and he pressed that shame that day's feelings into her. Trying to finally bend that last fragile link towards Luke, that old loyalty towards him into Kylo Ren. She had been such a loyal little girl towards him, avoiding Luke, but sticking to him. "I need you to help me." he hedged, and she nodded almost numb. "The map, please Rey. I need the map, so many people will die soon." That snapped her up to finally stare at him. "I can spare them, but you need to tell me where LUKE is. RIGHT NOW." 

"What... what do you mean?" she asked, he pulled the rifle from her numb hands, she limply clasped and unclasped her hands as he tossed the rifle away and stepped towards her trapping her against the wall. 

"This base has a terrible weapon, more terrible then the death star, capable of destroying entire star systems. I can stop it, if you only tell me." There was a shudder, it had been fired, and likely would have been directed towards the Hosian system right now. "Its too late for one. Right now, it has been fired." It took only moments for the deaths to hit her. He closed himself off from the screaming voices. She slumped to the ground, limp, and he went down by her holding his hand out in front of her face. "They will prepare it for the next system, to destroy any chance to find Luke. Please, help me stop them. Just GIVE ME THE MAP." whether he could indeed stop the weapon from the Illeennium system from being destroyed was a matter he didn't focus on, but it would likely be true. Snoke would be going to destroy this planet, this place Luke was at rather then focus on the inconsequential rebellion. Tears flowed from her eyes, but she shook as she put her hand in his. Victory, pure utter elation entered him. 

"I.... I'll tell you." she said softy, then frowned, shivering. But he helped her up and left her standing on her own shaking. 

"Come with me." he commanded, with a numbness she did so, not daring to dive for the rifle to take back control. He left her in a small room to map out what she saw going back to Snoke with a urgent communication. 

* * *

"You dare to pull me away from our victory?!" Hux screamed. Snoke regarded them both. "Did it occur to you this girl could be relaying the map to-" Hux was silenced as Snoke rose a hand.

"Leave, I must speak to REN alone." Hux blinked then with a smug smile left. Snoke was more then curious at the delay. Lightning crackled at his hand, even through the hologram Ren knew it could reach him. He prepared himself but a soft beep, and like a plasma shot the whole map came to the fore before Snoke could attack. He got the satisfaction of seeing however briefly shock on his masters face. Rey did it, relief flooded into him, she gave them the map.

"She is more loyal to me then him." Ren said, almost in slight disbelief. Oh he had left her alone in that room unguarded and that was a mistake to them. But here was the full map to Skywalker. It was true, what he said, that little girl was still after all these years of abandonment was loyal. She would have to prove her loyalty more to them, to Snoke, but for him this alone proved it. 

"I will regard this information. For now." Snoke said quietly, amazed, and still in mild shock. 

"May I train her?" Ren asked bowing to his knees. Snoke flicked his gaze off the map to him. 

"You may, be on your way. Prepare to kill Skywalker." Snoke was still quiet and the hologram faded only leaving the complete map. Ren felt truly elated. Truly happy and sucessful. Oh he could feel dread at facing his old master but that was a small thing compared to the utter sucess he had. Little Rey came through for him, and as he stood in the doorway of the map room with some of her anger swirling around her, he had her. 

Had one of the only force users in the galaxy, her loyalty. Like he had the rest. Only Luke remained on the other side, he could feel her strength, Luke had told him she had been weak, that she would never amount to much, but he knew. It was only waiting, the force would wait till she was strong enough in body and spirit to show its true self. She was strong, maybe enough to even match him.

* * *

Rey was alone again in the map room, but she didn't hesitate much, she never really tried to. Hesitation got you killed on Jakku, so she started to put all the remembered stars, planets, and large asteroids into their place. A feeling crept into her and she looked up to see Luke again. Another ghost like thing, he gave her a sad look. "You've been captured?" he asked her. 

"Yes..." she told him and let the anger flood her. He blinked sitting up a little straighter she quickly finished the star map and looked it over. 

"REY, I'm sorry, but this isn't how it needs to be, look I can try to help you-"

"I gave them the map to you." she told him, and sent the map to the place Ren had told her to. She could feel a sort of stillness both in Luke and someplace distant. He shook his head and she felt the most disappoint she had ever felt flood into her from him. She just glared at him for a long time until he finally decided to reply. 

"Rey, you shouldn't have done that." he told her. 

"You shouldn't have lied that Ben was dead." she snapped back, he blinked again face draining of color, a smile took her lips and he vanished leaving her alone. "Asshole." she mumbled and looked up letting her anger at Luke drop as she looked to Ben, called Kylo Ren now. "Did the map go through?" she asked him. He nodded to her, and she took a breath of relief. 

"We'll have to see if it is correct, but as soon as its confirmed, by... me, you should be trusted enough to then prove your loyalty to the..." he dropped off as she slowly crept to him. He flinched as she put her arms around him in a light hug. He didn't hug her back, seeming limp with shock that anyone would ever show him any affection.

* * *

 

_'I thought I was the only one left.'_ the thought was keen and sad, filled with loneliness so sharp and hot it burned, he crushed her to him in a hug back and she only uttered a quick surprised 'ophfm' as he squeezed her to him. She was so utterly relieved there was someone, anyone even the man who killed a person she called father, was a part of that place, of that night and life from before. "Be-Ren I can't breathe." she gasped, and he let her go. She took a few steadying breaths. 

"I am truly sorry I hurt Tekka." he told her, and did feel that way, at least a tiny bit. She blinked, and a tiny frail smile took her lips before she cast her face and eyes down respectfully. 

"Uh... may... may I eat something?" she asked him respectfully. "Kylo Ren, uhh... sire, sir?" he could chuckle at the attempts at formal speech. There was time to teach her the formalities of greetings and stations. 

"Yes, you won't be in the best quarters, but you wont be as guarded as a prisoner." he told her and she followed him, just like back then right at his heels. She drank in the information. "I'm to teach you..." he began. 

"Teach me what?" she demanded quickly. 

"What Luke never did." he hedged, she paused in her step, but before he could stop continued walking just behind him. 

"Okay," 

"Only after you've proven yourself." she nodded again as he led her to the mess area. He wasn't prone to eating with anyone, but since he was currently acting as guard towards her, no matter how he believed her trustworthy, at least towards him, Hux would complain. She devoured the meal he put before her, plain fair, but that didn't matter to her. In fact she seemed to enjoy it, he dropped her off in a small quarters under a solitary guard. He didn't doubt she could break out if she wanted to, but as for now...He went to the communications room. He requested 'HIS' ship, the Finalizer to head to this planet Luke was on. He'd take her with him she was now his charge. Hopefully that would be-the order was confirmed on Snoke's side and he sighed in relief. 

However dread filled him, he would have to face Luke, now he felt it, but he had some time to prepare for the confrontation. At least Snoke didn't just order the planet destroyed, likely thinking Luke would sense it coming and flee to utterly unknown reaches if not back to the rebellion. Better the surprise, better him to go, as to make certain of the death. 

 


	3. With the Rebellion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((This one is about what has been Happening with the Rebellion.)) Leia Organa has had few successes in the past years, but when her twin brother flies down in a mostly destroyed x-wing doesn't feel like one. ((This is also very short.))

When Poe escaped it had been a success, but it wasn't a success when an unknown weapon rushed out with almost blood like streaks into the skies of Takadona destroying the closeby Hosian system. A dark young man immediately went to the group, "Its them! Its the first order they've done it!" the accusation hung in the air with stillness. Leia didn't miss a beat to get him into breifings on what this was, how to maybe destroy it, when Poe's droid bumped into her leg.

'Where is Rey of Jakku?' it beeped at her. 'I've scanned the base for her and I can not find her.' it explained. Leia gave the droid a confused look. 

"I don't know who you're talking about." she confessed to the droid. 

'Poe does!' the droid told her. 

"POE!" Leia thundered, and like a child who had done something wrong Poe went to her side. "What is your droid talking about?" she asked him. He gave bb-8 a look as the droid babbled the same thing at him. He blinked, and the man Finn also blinked. 

"OH!, She owned that junk-" 

"THAT THING IS NOT JUNK." Came a strong voice. Leia slowly turned to Han, and her heart melted a bit. "That thing kid is the Millennium Falcon. Where the Hell was it?" Han needed a shave, and a hair cut she stared at her husband as he approached smug as ever. Poe seemed to be caught somewhere between shock and wonder. She didn't need to read his mind to hear that he was elated in every fiber of his being HE had flown the famous ship, even for just a moment. 

"It, it was on Jakku." Poe said quietly. "Some girl had bought it." 

"That junkyard?" Han questioned, Finn straightened and cast a look around. 

"WAIT. Where is she?" Poe looked up and around the other rebellion soldiers quickly getting this base packed and abandoned like hundreds of other bases. That got another rush of activity, with BB-8 beeping irritably along side. Leia pocked a small drone, likely something that had been just abandoned by the first order, it was quickly poked at by the little BB unit, he attached himself to it, and a hologram flared to life. Han put a hand on her shoulder, as they watched the scene, and familiarity rang in them both at the figure chasing the unknown girl. 

"Han... he was here." Leia said lowly. Han tightened his hand on her shoulder. The scene ended just before he picked up the girl after he did something to make her sleep, Leia knew about it a force sleep. It wasn't a dark side technique utterly, and it gave hope in her. Han pulled her into a hug, and she could hear his solid heart beat in her ear. 

"I don't know anything about this little girl." he told her honestly. Leia accepted the embrace for a moment longer, allowing the weakness of a shiver before she pulled away and pulled herself up. 

"BB-8 why is this girl important?" she demanded. The droid detached itself from the drone and tilted its head a bit. 

'Because she has seen the map.' it stated plainly as if it were obvious, when the two humans didn't speak it seemed to sigh. 'The map to Luke?' it prompted, still fairly angry at how SLOW humans were. 

"She'll be tortured for it." Leia said simply, and turned towards her army. "Han, you need to go get Him." Han looked truly pathetic. 

"Why me?" he demanded her but still looked smug like his old self. She couldn't help but smile and chuckle towards him. 

"Because you're the only one who can get that-" a crashing sort of noise, of a very old ship coming out of hyperspace brought them up and out of this reverie. Leia frowned as the beat-up nearly dismantled x-wing landed in a skidding halt in one of the landing bays that was now empty of ships, all heading to the Raddus. She knew who was on it before Luke stumbled out with a frown. "Nevermind." she stalked up to Luke as he looked to her and then down. The moment she got near she slapped her twin brother across his face and stalked away to get onto her own ship. The girl wasn't exactly forgotten, she wasn't needed, it wasn't as though she was needed with Luke here and safe. The little droid paused before Luke as Han shrugged to follow his wife. 

'Is there no one going to find Rey of Jakku?' the droid demanded to Luke. He scowled to the droid, but deflated a bit, rubbing his cheek. 

"I can try, but... I'm working from a bad place." he admitted to the droid. The droid looked to him curiously before he flinched as his old ship finally died. He'd have to hitch a ride, and did so people viewing him in a bit of awe. He'd rather not be here, but with what Rey had done, and then the weapon that had been fired leaving billions dead, again, just like with the Death Star, he had to leave that planet and leave it quickly. That weapon needed to be destroyed, and Rey might be the only one who could help them there. Surely she can see that. 

* * *

He reached out to this girl, oh her mind was familiar from those years ago, something he could sense would one day be strong, traveling old paths he found her mind. She was walking determinedly through endless sand dunes, up and down like stormy waves on an ocean. The air was parched and devoid of any moisture, and she wore thick robes to keep the beating suns off her skin. Just as he was about to twist the dream into something he wanted it changed, the change was slow, nothing more then the air changing and he stopped himself to watch. Gradually the dunes changed, red yellow sand changing to gray green waters. Blasted red sky changing to dark blue twilight, and the air was thick and chill with water. She was now marching towards a rocky island, and he felt himself rooted to the spot unable to move his mind away. 

Such a thing can't pass, but he saw as an old man, with a well kept beard watched over her, before turning to him, standing on the waves of the ocean. Around him fish like beings rose up, wearing dark clothes and he had a moment of fear before he finally tangled himself out of the girls mind with a gasp and a shudder. His abused and old body came back to him with its old aches and pains, and new ones now. A intense migraine, more pain then he had ever felt before leaving him... diminished as he shut that pain away. WHAT WAS SHE? It left only a small trail of fear in him, this thing had somethings flavor in the force. What little presence Luke had, which had been in her was now in him. A barrier, that idiot put a force barrier in the girl, and HE, HE had now consumed it from her mind. Accidentally. Part of it was broken, but now it was in him preventing him from accessing the old paths in his mind to the force. 

It would take weeks if not months to break free from this in his state. He despised his own pain. 

 


	4. When I see the sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finds herself on her first few days with the first order.

Rey didn't exactly know when she fell asleep, but then she knew she was asleep and marching towards that island for what little dubious protection from nightmares it held. She was led there by a gentle sort of crooning voice, an old OLD man much more older then Tekka, or anyone she'd known only promising peace. He was the first one to guide her there after the first nightmare she had in her life, the voice familiar if the face was so utterly unknown to her. SHe had seen him a few times, but he lingered out and away, letting her feel safe, so when it felt like something was chasing her while she thought it first could be him. But his silent voice urged her forwards, and she may have stalled a step, feeling something lift from her, before she finally reached the island. That feeling of being chased so utterly dashed away as her feet sat down on the rocky shores. It was familiar, sparsely holding vegetation, and a few lone and utterly empty huts. She was alone here and that ache was back until the peace of the island slowly worked its way to her bones. It never eased the ache, but it made it just the tiniest bit easier to bare. 

She woke as a dry mechanical buzz rang through the room, small as it was, it was luxurious. Holding even a fresher unit, something she hardly had even living with Tekka. She was thrilled and lept into the unit to get all that grime and dirt from Jakku still clinging to her off. It wasn't like her dreamed of units, water pouring down, but it was still more lovely then the ones she had paid to use on Jakku when she could. That one, nothing more then a vibrating table shaking off dust and blowing hot air to clean. It left one dissatisfied, this one did to, but it used a hot steam, and then air, slightly scented in some astringent smell, to clean. It left her at least feeling more clean then she had in almost a decade. She found a set of clothes in the unit and put them on, setting her old clothes down in the place of what must be more standard issue uniform. It wasn't like the officer uniforms she'd glanced at, nor the black trooper underthings she had glanced at from Finn. 

It was the set of underthings which made her pause, all she used to use was a set of, crude, stitched up things, and a long band of cloth to wrap herself up with. This was more structured, and as she curiously put it on, made her flinch as the material sunk into her skin supporting her and keeping still what little she had to deal with more so then her breast band. The other thing, which covered her more important modesty was a bit to big, but that didn't matter. She slipped on long white socks, then the dark grey pants. Next a long sleeved white shirt, and black vest. Curiously, there was a small band with her new clothes and she put it on her upper arm, and then latched the new and heavier boots onto her feet. These just like her new breast 'band' contorted to her feet as she stood, the inner linings tightening and conforming to her feet in a comfortable way. She tested them, shifting from her heels to the balls of her feet, the shoes were heavy yes, and that would take getting used to as she stepped outside hearing a nice CLUNK of the boots. She was used to Jakku, and that kind of weight would be useful for cracking up into someones stomach or face, much more so then the cobbled together shoes left just outside the fresher unit. A droid waited 'patiently' in her room, just like BB-8 but all in black with a more square head then round. 

'You are to follow me now.' it stated highly, and very much officiously. 

"Designation, and why?" she demanded back. The droids optics focused and unfocused on her. 

'BB-9E.' it answered. 'The Finalizer is preparing to leave, you are to accompany Kylo Ren while on board.' it then explained. Rey nawed a bit on her lip, but nodded, following the droid as quick as she could, with its irritating beeping urging her to go faster. A trooper, obviously designated a guard either for or against her, paced respectfully behind, his more heavy boots and armor clinking. She tried not to fidget as they came out into a thickly populated shuttle-bay, everyone scrambling to prepare the unseen Star Destroyer for its departure. The droid rolled behind her, and pushed her beeping angrily when she didn't walk. 

"OKAY OKAY." she snapped to it, and started towards one crew transport being loaded onto by other troopers. They all shifted nervously as she stood by them waiting for the ship to take off. The droid, latched itself to her ankle, not literally, but obviously it was ordered to accompany her and it wasn't going stop unless told to by someone higher up on the list of commanders and officers then her. If she has any sort of designation other then, she hud a snort, 'guest' of Ben's. Well, she bit her cheek, Kylo Ren, she supposed. The questions rattling in her head could wait till they were in private. 

The ship gave a weightless lurch in a sudden motion making her collide with a trooper. "Sorry!" She told him quickly before any noise left his mouth. They shifted, as though her quick appology unsettled them.

"No ma'am," the trooper toldher quickly. "I should have warned you we were taking off." She chuckled. Maybe unsettling them more.

"Its okay, sir?, Im fine." The trooper seemed to go still, and then nooded to her. 

"I am not a sir, I am FN-2196." He told her, in a bit of a hush. That same hush permeated the rest. Maybe it was amazement that she could and did show diffeernce to a trooper but she smiled to him.

"Hmmm then thank you SIR FN-2196." And inclined her head. That amazed air tightened, then relaxed when she didnt press the formality. But she did think, the quick explanation of Finn and Poe of who they were, a defected trooper in the slight lull of the hyperspace jump. "Can I call you...Nix? Nine six?" She asked as they swayed when the ship excited the astomosphere of the planet. 

The trooper stared towards her completely baffled and gave a slight nod. "Then thanks Nix." The rest, even her guard, didnt rush her but shuffled spurned on by even the tiniest kindness she offered. "2171? Sen, 2190? Nino, 2155? Fife." She quickly has a sort of name for all of them including her guard. FN-2107, Zensa. They all basked, almost in utter worship of what little she gave them. It made her heart ache, even if she didn't think these people could be people for most of her life. They were a bit like her true nothings, anything to ease that she was glad to give, a little nothing giving more nothing. Rey frowns, names are worthless really, particularly for graves. No one would care if Tekka was in one, they'd raid it all the same. She shook herself and decided to think of just what she had sensed when the ground shivered. 

It wasn't like that sort of death she had felt before, but a tidal wave and it engulfed her. She'd do anything in her power to never feel it again, she had agreed to... work, she supposed as a way of putting it, with Ben. But she'd need help to stop that weapon, what had he said? Worse then the death star, she'd only have to agree, she had no words for what she felt. The promise of training, she had to take, at least... she bit the inside of her cheek. Until she could destroy that weapon. There was more here then she could fathom, and likely, she barely repressed a growl, she would need Luke's help with that. This thing was too dangerous to allow in such... she blinked, hands. Rey repressed that little thought as she ran through plans in her head, she'd be compliant, learn what she could, who knows that that defected trooper knew, and then strike. Ben would help right? Of course he would, the thought made her feel lighter already, and maybe just a bit giddy. She just needed time, and hopefully, that would be given to her.

* * *

Ren waited for his, he sent a short look to Hux, his ship was prepared for takeoff. Supplies were loaded, soldiers, and everything the ship needed to function as a whole. Captain Phasma, summoned by Ren not Hux shuffled in, and stood to attention. "Captain Phasma, please take the girl Rey to crew training and start her on hand to hand combat." Ren told the woman calmly. Hux made a noise of distaste, however, Phasma nodded, and shuffled herself out her chrome armored shining just a tad brightly in the artificial lights. The firey red headed man dared not rescind the order, he himself had his orders from the Supreme Leader of treating this girl with child gloves. They wanted her to stay, they needed her to stay and part of that would be ensuring not to scare her back towards the rebellion. 

"So, you're pet is going to be taught to fight?" Hux asked, disdain evident in his voice. "DO you think that wise?" 

"Wise or not, it is the Supreme Leader's choice." Ren said simply, and Hux snapped up to leave. Let him be upset, right now Ren needed to think. Needed to ensure Rey would stay. She was so rattled by the deaths he was able to use that to make her give him the map, and she was so very angry at Luke. He could use that, and will use that. But, he paced a bit, officers watched him as he left them to their duties. How to harness it? How to manipulate it to his, or Snoke's will? He had... he shook himself and stopped watching her from a view port as she got off the crew transport, Phasma waiting for her. The Troopers didn't crowd, but they seemed to treat her with deep respects, and that was good. Her guard, discharged by Phasma as she showed Rey to the crew quarters Ren had little time to debate in himself, there was much to do, even for him. Requisitioning supplies, for her, he cast a look towards her retreating form. With what she wore to denoted to everyone she was something like a subcontractor. 

He could very well see it, bringing up the image to sooth his nerves, Rey and him back to back fighting faceless enemies strong and fearless. It eased what worries he had at the moment. He would go slow, be that whisper in the back of her head goading her to violence. He paused a moment, and brought up the attack on that village with Tekka, several children were captured and sent to a re-education camp. While most of them were too old to become troopers or something more valuable, they were still going to be part of the empire. They'd be useful to keep her with the empire, he sent word to ensure their safety and mostly well being. Once she proved herself, proved her loyalty to everyone including Snoke, he could take her to them and wouldn't she be so happy to see those kids she must have known. They'd be safe, well fed and even be trained to be something of value. She'd see that, and whatever anger she had at him for killing Tekka would fade. From the reports on them he pulled up, every one of them had been given a full medical exam, he knew they were on the edge of starvation. The psychological exams that each one went through showed the kids own concern for Rey, he sent word to those there of Rey's joining of the First Order. 

"Sir?" a young tech, Mitaka mumbled behind him. He flinched when Ren turned to the boy, he was holding a small box. "These are the girls things, she left them on board a droid brought them up. We are un-un" Ren paced to the man looking at the small box over, a set of papers were on top and he examined them, and had to pause before several emotions would have flickered up. He was about to laugh, in anger, or maybe in outright disgust, or something else as he read them. They were Starship ownership documents, and his eyes lingered on the name of the ship. The Millennium Falcon. She OWNED that hunk of garbage, the ship had been taken he knew, not long after he had been sent to Luke. 

"Leave." Ren stated taking the papers. "dispose of the clothes, any personal objects are to be kept and delivered to her quarters." Mitaka nodded, shaking before he left leaving the papers with Ren. A small chuckle, transmuted to ugly snarl, bubbled up once he was alone. He could be furious, he despised that ship more then anything, but to have HER, HER of all people to find it, to actually OWN the damn thing? It brought a ridiculous mirth, he himself looked for the ship, and it looked like eventually fate would have brought them together. No mater what, fate would have spun them together again. Relief, that was the unknown feeling in him, a relief. Fate was striving, or the force itself, was pushing them together. It wasn't a trick, or something else. Reports said the ship was with the rebellion, and he smiled, a full grin. It would be an amusing thought to have a full protracted legal battle between him and his father. He on behalf of Rey, fighting against Han's ownership. He doubted his father remembered half the time to re-register the ship to him. 

Ren sent the missive to the Rebellion, he would have given ANYTHING to see his Father's face when he realized that the ship was owned, and so very 'legally' so by someone else. While it was dubious, how could it not be, the ship was his, and for now, he would let the legality of it hang. He wanted to see the ship destroyed and had the opportunity to do so. Facing his father in a manner where he would beat him, and watch him as his ship was stripped of all use, and then blasted into a sun. That was very much pleasing, and he didn't have to listen to the sick little voice in his head that told him to kill his father. THAT would kill Han. Han loved that ship perhaps as much, if not more the his own mother. Such relief, and it was Rey that gave it to him, he didn't miss she took Tekka's name, but that would be fine. Let her. A reminder of the past and once she was ready she could leave it and that name alone. Or he could use it, use it as a way of her rebirth, either way, she was in his grasp and he wasn't going to let her go. 

* * *

There was a beep, and a few things happened, not all at once. C3-PO didn't blink, he couldn't, but he missive from the First Order was more then surprising, it was shock, and it was in a bit of awe. "Prin-General?" the droid went to Leia, his old friend and ally. She looked so old, and so little time comparatively had passed. Humans were so short lived and it left the droid feeling a bit strange, but that was programming. He would miss her once she died. The woman turned to him, as he tapped into the ships comuncation. The holo of the missive he just received floated up. Full of legal jargon, and looked to be a copy and paste sort of deal until nearer to the end. 

"WHAT?!" Han demanded as he read it. "They can't OWN her! I do!" Everyone looked at it, it was a request, in formal, for the requisition of the Millennium Falcon. But attached to them were the full legal documents of ownership with the promise of a fully legal battle for the ship. It was strange, signed by...the droid looked to Leia's wide eyes, by Kylo Ren. He knew that name, and knew who it really belonged to. But he couldn't bring that up, he was ordered not to after all. "Rey Tekka? Who the heck is this Rey Tekka?"  

'That is the Rey of Jakku!' Bb-8 said quickly, rolling to the side of C3-PO. 

"He says it is Rey of Jakku." C3-PO said quickly, and watched the humans shift. "This could be a good opportunity to..." he stopped at Leia's warning glare. 

"Well they can't HAVE her, she's mine!" Han hedged, Chewie roared beside him and the droid tried to translate the roar. Wookie language was a bit hard for him, the nuance of some of the roars could mean a few things. "OURS, she is OURS. Why... why is he doing this?" Han looked to the name confused, and just the lightest bit hurt. 

"It has to be an excuse to get us all together to kill us." Poe Damereon said quickly. The two looked to the younger man. "Kill you. I mean that man is a monster right? This is obviously an excuse to get the both of you to a place where he can kill you." 

"Han, I need to speak with you in private." Leia said simply, and the two left, leaving the droid, and everyone else silent as the grave before they went back to their tasks. C3-PO followed after he detached himself from the computers. "This could be it Han, we could finally get him back." Leia said as he shuffled towards them. What would be out of human hearing range, he focused on, drowning out everything else as much as his programing allowed. This was important to log into his systems after all. 

 "Leia... I..." Han began lowly. 

"Han... please..." he stopped just seeing them hugging in the private area. "Bring him home, this... this is the way we can see him again. That's all we need! I know it!" 

"We... we have to play this carefully. You know they'd use ANY opportunity... kriff they just DESTROYED those planets!" he told her, but they hadn't noticed the droid just yet. "How can..." he paused as Leia smiled touching his cheek. 

"Trust me, he needs you, he needs us. IT was all Snoke!" Now they turned to the droid, as his cooling system kicked in, emitting a faint hum. "We'll send a message back, meet in fully neutral space, and then we can talk. We can see him again Han. I know we can bring him back, I know YOU can bring him back." she soothed quickly and gave a confident smile. Han returned it. 

"Alright, but what about this weapon? This thing has to have some sort of big red 'self destruct' button on it, they always do." His confidence was assured, as they quickly looked over the information given gladly so, by the defected trooper. It was a planet, fully twice as large if not bigger then the Death Star. The discussions on how to destroy it were quickly ushered into public areas. There were several weaknesses, and several ways to go about it. But the planet was shielded, very well, leaving Han with a very good idea, which he wouldn't tell anyone. There was after all the opportunity with this legal nonsense about HIS ship to get close, and get through those shields. Either the hard way, or the easy way. Any way left the droid shuffling, his computer whirring unsure. He had the benefit of logic, and could calculate the billions of ways this could go wrong. But he had seen a lot in his life, what looked like terrible odds were navigated easily, and shown Han, Luke, Leia, and so on to be... lucky. Always in favor of these people before him, so he was eased and didn't bring up that it was very very unlikely that these plans were able to be done without losses. C3-PO would rather all of this was done with, he wanted to have a more quiet life like before. 

* * *

 Rey blinked at the chrome plated trooper before her, her voice denoted female, but the armor left little to showcase such a thing, it left her realizing that maybe some of the troopers were female, just like the rebellion soldiers and solidified that everyone of them were people. Phasma was currently, with a bored tone, telling her to follow, and Rey did so, the little droid continuously following her, still remaining undismissed. Everyone knew the troopers had once been clones, all created from large vats in pairs. But now it appeared the majority were all from the populace, it left her unsettled. She wondered what life that trooper she had killed had. She didn't even know the guys, or girls, name, or designation. It did strike her as odd none had names, but like before that question could wait. Rey was shown where her quarters were, just as small and very much more luxurious then Jakku, as then ushered towards something that looked like a meeting room. 

It had thick pads on the floor however, and she blinked. Weapons, the various weapons troopers used were all around, and she glanced to Phasma. It would be so easy to escape right now, grab one and shoot everyone right? But she shook the thought out, better to see what this was about. "I am to test how much hand to hand combat you know and then teach you properly." Phasma told her, and then as Rey watched, divested herself of a few parts of her armor. The cloak went, the helmet and the arm armor. Phasma was beautiful, even Rey knew that. Long neck, blond hair, and bright blue eyes without the trace of blemishes on her skin, or scars. Unlike Rey's tanned skin, freckled with sun spots that could turn to cancer as was more then likely. It left Rey completely unprepared as the woman, punched her in the gut. Rey staggered back as Phasma shook her head. "Do you not know defense?" she clicked her tongue as the few troopers there gathered around to watch. Rey pushed the feeling of pain out of her system and prepared herself. 

After what felt like humiliating defeat, Rey was set with one trooper, FN-819, to train, leaving Phasma to watch and correct her forms. By the end she was sweating, and nearly shaking as Phasma dressed herself back up and guided her to the crew mess. Everyone, but the officers it appeared in their own separate area which Phasma left to, ate the same goop. The troopers looked to her as she sat on one end with that goop, and a few brave souls shuffled close to her. "Are... why are you eating with us?" one asked and gestured towards the officers. "Ma'am, you should be with them!" She shrugged, assuming that Phasma left her here to eat this right? This was where she was supposed to be. The meal wasn't exactly good, not like the one Ren provided her, but she supposed that was a reward for... giving him the map and the odd thing out. It was better then starving to death on Jakku, she'd eaten a rock before, before Luke, before Unkar, just to ease the crawling of her belly. The memory made her blink, but she downed the goop as a few troopers, sans helmets, stared at her in wonder. They ate slower then her, one of them correcting her manners, and she gratefully thanked him, he basked in such a thing. 

* * *

 

Hux would be furious, it was not lost on him that moral was boosted a bit the moment the girl left that ship. The few soilders she was with had NAMES, she gave them NAMES. That could be forgiven, it was evident she was so utterly ignorant on the workings of the first order, however, what surprised him was that the commander in charge of those troopers asked to let them keep them. Morale, their morale was up, and right now Hux was glaring at the camera watching the girl eat, and a trooper teach her how to do so properly. She even ATE their food, why? She could easily requisition whatever food she could want, it was being allowed, yet she was consuming their food, chatting with them. Why, through all the careful morale boosting, and the utter hiding of the defectors doings, did she so easily boost it? His eyes broke off the girl, to read all the reports on her and her actions. In the short hours he had the reason, and it would anger him, but again she was ignorant. 

One trooper, now turning in his report stated as much. She has a genuine kindness, and with her placement as 'part of' yet not 'part of' the first order she wasn't cozening up to them as a way of gaining loyalty. So they flocked to her, he eased himself with that knowledge. She could still be a spy, he didn't ever discount such a thing, he would never discount it. But in the end she wasn't trying to climb ranks to show how much better then she was then everyone else and shoving it in their faces. It was one way the officers, and those further up the ranks showcased their prestige among others. That bespoke of her ignorance, and he knew that it would ease the officers once they meet her. It definitely eased Phasma of all people, always so wary of anyone, say for himself of course. He liked the woman and wanted to keep her as his second in command. He would have to play this carefully and made quick plans, to have to teach her the PROPER ways of the First Order. 

Hux knew she must have that same strange power Ren had, that much was known to him, the same power Snoke-Supreme Leader Snoke, had. Ren was a bully, he'd play this kindly towards her. Guide her, craft her to be loyal just as he was told to. IF she was a spy for the rebellion, he would change that to him. Use her as a double agent, maybe send her back to them, work as a spy to bring them all to their knees. He could be kind, could be gentle. Yes, he would be the best person to teach her the intricacies of the first order and sent the question, the asking to the Supreme Leader. There was time to do so, with no real battle pulling up he'd be free. As A general, a son to the program his father crafted, he would be in the place of power, yet something still of a outsider, to the girl. He has a perspective she had, well, not really, but still. The missive he sent came back in the affirmative. Let Ren try to pull at the girls loyalty. He'd use pragmatism, it worked with Phasma back when his father pulled her out of the fried junk heap. It was a good idea to have her be the girls combat teacher, they'd connect on such similar levels. From Jakku the girl, a scavenger would be pragmatic. Get her to come to his hand, not Ren, Ren was dangerous, an unknown. Himself was earthly. That would cater to this girl. 

He knew they called him mongrel, he was nothing of the sort, the true mongrel was Ren. He wondered how the girl would think if he showed her the numerous files of outbursts the man had. He pulled the files out, and saved them for later on his personal datapad. Let that wait linger and wait, loyalty was a complicated issue, and it was not lost on him these two knew each other from some long ago time. She likely didn't even think that Ren wasn't whatever he was before, what he was didn't matter to Hux. Right now, he had to ensure that the girl wasn't a spy, and that she was properly educated. Lest she continue this, troopers were skittish, and he couldn't have them throwing themselves to protect a spy. 

* * *

Rey blinked as the droid ushered her into a clean, and sparse room. She'd be less wary if there was a torture droid waiting for her, but as of now there was a man, just about half a head taller then her with bright red hair and blue green eyes. With his hair shaved on both sides, and the top slicked back he looked like an officious lawyer. He wore a lot of black, but didn't have a cape unlike Be-Ren, and Phasma. He nodded to a chair on the small table, were a datapad sat and eased herself slowly onto the cold metal seat. Was there anything warm in the First Order? 

"You are here to learn of the First Order." the man told her voice crisp and clipped. She sighed relaxing a bit, oh thank goodness. The troopers didn't know much about the ways officers acted other then them having the troopers give out daily reports, thrice daily if the officers were upset. All while doing their duties, and as with upset mop floors, or clean things that droids could. It was far easier to talk to them then to dare go near those people, no matter how friendly they were. "Tell me why you ate with the troopers." He held out his gloved hand. 

"Oh.... was I not supposed to?" she asked, and he blinked, as if reshuffling something in his head. She couldn't get much sense from the man, most people... leaked as she would put it. But she could only get the sense of well an ocean. A calm surface just hiding a teaming underbelly. "Uh... um... Sir?" she finished as quickly as she could. It wouldn't hurt to be as polite as possible. "May... I ask who you are?" 

"I am General Armatiage Hux, you may call me General, or Sir." he told her and she nodded feeling a bit mortified that she was taking what had to be an important person's time, whatever she felt must be written on her face because he smoothed out a label of his coat. "There are no major battles, and I can offer a unique perspective of the First Order, while also being a vital part of it." 

"Yes sir." she answered and stared down at the datapad. She could get the barest hint of pleasure before it was whisked away. That irritated her, but at the moment she needed to play this as careful as possible. This man would have a lot of information on that weapon, he may have even been the person to push the button. 

"Now, what do you know?" the question was simple enough. 

"You are... what is left of the Empire?" He shifted and she looked up to him, staring at his nose rather then his eyes, then back down. He pointed to the datapad, and she slowly grabbed it, pulling it to her. 

"You'll find all the information you need there. The machine is limited to work only upon this ship and can not receive or send outside of the ship." she hugged the pad to her chest. "Now is there anything you wish to know that I may be able to answer?" She frowned, and bit her lip. What did she want to know. 

"Why don't the troopers get names?" she asked quickly. His left eye twitched the lightest bit. 

"They.... are based upon the clone troopers." he said tonelessly. "These men, and women are raised, sometimes born into the trooper program. This is where the the First Order Started. This program was started under the Emperor, but when the Empire fell, this program was one of the few things that could be built Upon. The Supreme Leader is the one who saw this and rose us from the ashes of defeat to the strength we have now." Rey drank in the information. "The troopers do not have names, because as soldiers they do not require them...HOWEVER," he steepled his fingers under his chin. "You are allowed to... give such names to what will be your personal guards." she nodded, and breathed out a bit of relief. So it was wrong, however it was being allowed, because of her she guessed. For some strange reason they wanted her, never in her life did she think they'd want MORE then just the map from her. "You have quite a bit of value to my Order." Hux confirmed. It would have made her swoon if a type of medical droid didn't slide in nearly soundlessly on tracks. 

"What... is this?" she asked him as he stood, straightening himself and setting his uniform, or clothes she still wasn't sure which. 

"A medical droid to assess your health." he said simply and walked out. Rey stared at the droid, going back from the BB unit to this droid. 

"I will now examine you." the medical droid said blandly, its voice was pitched high, like someone who didn't know anything about humans trying to mimic some kind of soothing tone. Rey complied, the droid seemed to run scans over her, sucked a bit of her blood out and made a series of beeps and dings. "you require a more specialized diet." it told her and a small print out shot out of it, she took it and examined the words. She was going to be put on a diet? She blinked, more protein? A kindle of hope in her, maybe meat? The last time she had eaten meat was in Luke's academy. Then shook herself, no, might as well stay with the troopers. That would be fine, the droid was quickly done, leaving and telling her that her assessment, would be beemed to her datapad she set aside. Rey grabbed the pad and then shifted uneasily. 

"Where do I go now?" she mumbled. 

'To your rooms if there is no designation and place you are to go.' BB-9E told her, she nodded and let the droid lead the way to her rooms. She didn't feel tired, but was a bit exhausted. With a strange sort of shudder, she felt the ship enter hyperspace. Luke was waiting for her the moment she opened her door. BB-9E sated she was confined or ordered to leave her from some unknown person, left her alone. 

"I... I need your help." Rey told him and he nodded. 

"The weapon?" was all he asked, and in a low voice. "I know... it has to be destroyed. Finn, that trooper gave us a lot of information, however it would be safer to have specifics. Can you get to them?" 

"I... I can try." she told him. That seemed to state him. 

"Thank you so much Rey, I am sorry for lying to you... it wasn't right..." he seemed to flinch at someone. This far from Luke she couldn't read any emotion other then what was on his face. "It wasn't right to do, but I wanted to protect you. If he knew you... he could have killed you." Still that same pause. Rey shifted, and put the datapad on a small table in her room. Containing a table, a chair, a bed and a fresher this room was most definitely a luxurious place. "I'm going to give you a few pointers till I can't anymore. Talking like this takes a lot out of me." She nodded, and waited. 

 


	5. Will the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo Ren land on Ach-to and Rey has her first lesson in the force in a long time.

Rey finds herself in the first days on the Finalizer with little else to do then to read the data provided by General Hux. It seemed like he left it open for her to contact him at any point in time that she wished. It was interesting to hear how the First Order rose up against the odds as it were after the defeats of the splintered empire. She noted it wasn't much different now though, learning to read from scavenged data logs from the old Destoryers on Jakku let her know that. As she read up on a very dry sort of monologue from the man that had to be Hux's father a message pinged into her datapad. Curious she pulled it up and apparently it was something that was for Ren, not her. A type of requisition form for supplies for the landing party. Rey looked over it, and gnawed on her lip, before going through the supposed supplies already sort of marked. She touched screen on a survival kit, and it marked it down, quickly eyeing the rest of the materials she frowned a bit and marked down extra blankets as well. Sending it, she really didn't feel that much stressed, they'd know it was hers right? 

All thoughts about the strange thing were forgotten when that little droid came to get her for the landing party, slipping the arm band back over her arm she followed it and smiled when she saw Ren thankful that SOMEONE normal... well familiar would be with her. "Are you ready?" he asked her, through the modulation and she frowns at that. Why the mask? Intimidation probably. 

"I suppose so." she answered and watched him as he slipped through the troopers towards the cockpit, she decided to help the men, all the same ones as on her transport here she noted with a grin, load the transport with supplies. Rey blinked as she and another trooper loaded a box clearly labeled and coded as 'survival kit-planet water based' Extra blankets, clearly put in storage inside the benches they'd sit on made a short sort of whisper through the troops. 

'extra blankets? A survival kit for each? why? how? What?! I've never SEEN a kit like that!' were the quick whispers, and she kept her head down cheeks flushing. She wasn't sure it was shame, or joy, maybe pride, or something else, but they seemed quite happy. Nix, helped her to latch herself into a seat, stowing her own bag, which was more standard issue things, an extra uniform basically, into her own seat. The trip down to the planet happened quickly, she could hear the ship hitting atmosphere, and all the tell for the ship was a slight increase of speed. The real flop in her stomach happened when the ship after circling something, finally landed in a type of bounce. With more help from Nix, she was up and out, quickly following orders from the troopers out into the island. Rey froze the moment she set foot onto it, eyes scanning the various formations and vegetation. Everything rang with the odd sense of familiarity, but she had little time to focus on that. Instead shaking her head she along with the other troopers had a set of tent like structures set up in a level area. 

Each one of them, had an extra blanket and each tent had its own heater, Rey had thought those were more for food, but from the chill air and the very much happy whispers from them she was rest assured of her decision. So she had obviously gotten something she shouldn't have, or it defaulted to her, and in a such a mistake she had made several people happy. The officers took off up a hill along with Ren, and then came back with orders. Various small structures would suffice the two officers, and Ren he grabbed her elbow before she could help the troopers take whatever the officers requisitioned for themselves. 

"Rey, come with me." he stated blinking she nodded and opened and closed her mouth. He lead her towards the structures that were dome-like, one of them was a bit set apart, and on the ground locked down by a fallen rock was a small blanket. From it lead to a place were someone had been living, various objects were in the hut Rey knew in a sort of distance feel that they were Luke's. It was like she could smell him on the objects, but could only smell the salty breeze. "Luke was here." he stated and his shoulders eased out from their hunch, as he stood by the doorway. 

"He must have sensed you coming and ran." Rey supplied. He turned to her then back into the hut, walking in Rey sighed. What little Luke could teach her, was mostly trying to wall people out from her mind. Keep those sensitive towards such a thing, from sensing lies and to hopefully shield her from mental intrusion. After a few moments he was back out holding something towards her. She blinked staring at it, it was some kind of broken light-saber, that much was clear. Only sabers had crystals in them, and this one held a finger sized red crystal that was more opaque then she thought it could be. He held it out towards her in the clear implication she should take it. "NO!" Now Ren exited looking at her through the mask. 

"Take it." he commanded. Rey shook her head and took a step back nearly hitting a low stone stable. "Why not?" 

"I.... the..." she glanced towards where the troopers had finished making a home for four people in the huts, four? Was one of them hers? "I... the last time I touched a saber... I think I saw a vision of you." she stated lowly. Ren paused, and lowered the broken saber just a little. 

"Post cognition.... maybe." he said and she gave him a look. "Touch it." Rey rose her hand and after quite the bit of hesitation touched the cold metal. Nothing happened, no vision of fire and death, with a grateful sigh she relaxed, and took it from him. "Nothing?" 

"No, nothing." she said and touched it again, this time the crystal, it tingled her skin, like a low current of electricity and she jerked her hand back. 

"You saw a vision of me?" he looked out along the island, then back towards the hut. She got the sense he was thinking of the huts, and maybe how similar some of the private huts were in the... time before all of this. Back when Luke had students. 

"Can you take the mask off? Its hard to understand you." Ren froze, head just inside of the hut. "Please Be... Ren?" He removed the helmet, tucking it under his arm and looked to her.

"Tell me about the vision you saw." He motioned her to sit, she did so, he put the helmet onto the stone table and stared down at her. 

"It was on... Takadona there was this... thing calling me." Rey lifted up the saber and put it next to the helmet frowning towards the broken thing. "A saber, It... was like a whisper." Ren waited patiently for her to continue. "When I touched it, it sent me into a vision, there was a lot of fire, a lot of death. Rain, I think, but it wasn't rain, it was more like a sandstorm... and then you. You stabbed a... rebel solider I think through the chest as he turned to run. Then after that, it was like you were looking at me, and then... pushed me, and it pushed me out of the vision." she had to leave out everything with Luke and his projection. It wouldn't look any sort of good. Being a spy, not even knowing what to lie about and what not to was hard. 

"That was on a Planet Called Feyrus, whom I pushed was a captain there. He was about to fire a heavy blaster at me, and that's how I learned to freeze bolts as well." he stated, and she gaped at him. 

"You can FREEZE blaster fire?" His smile was quick and quickly replaced by his more normal placid features. 

"Yes, and you should be able to as well." Rey stood up her heart raced at the thought. 

"Reverse it? Back onto the person too?" Ren blinked to her, and that smile came back, until he nodded. His hair fell in front of his face, her hand beat his to smooth it back. His hair felt smooth, and almost like running her hand through very fine sand. Snatching her hand back she put them into her lap looking to the ground. "Sorry." 

"No don't be." he told her, and held his hand out. "This island was the only one that held inhabited with structures from the planet scan. There are several structures below sea level, but this holds the only ones above that level." he told her, she took his hand and it sent a electric thrill through her, just like when she touched that crystal. "Exploration of the island can wait until tomorrow, for now, we will eat." 

"Yes Sir." she stated, he looked back to her, and let go of her hand, there was now a small set up of a 'kitchen' area, were one could make meals. The troopers in such a down time were examining the survival kits, several had their helmets off, and each one was a different person, only one, Fife was female actually, hair shaved short down, it was only the finer features that showed her nature as female. 

"Survival kits? Who ordered such a thing?" wondered a officer, Rey turned to him and looked back to the ground quickly. Ren didn't miss it, and looked down to her, she felt like squirming under the gaze. 

"Rey?" he questioned lightly. 

"Something came to the datapad that... Hux gave me. I think it was for... you." she answered. "It was some kind of form." Everyone went silent looking at her. "So I... put in for... this stuff. Extra blankets... you know. Its cold...." she rubbed her arms, now that the sun was setting it was getting a lot chillier. A sort of shuffling came from the troopers, and the two officers just blinked at her. Ren put his hand to his face blowing a short breath through his nose before schooling himself still. 

"It must have defaulted to you." was all he said and went towards the officers. Dismissed, or at least let go of his attention, Rey was nearly swarmed by the troopers again. They didn't touch her, but every one of the twenty thanked her profusely. While they didn't know exactly how to use the kits, each one held a manual for it, and fairly quickly there was more then twenty lines out for fish. However, after the first one, reeling in via a strong line brought in a fish the size of herself the rest were pulled, with more cheers. A quick scan made it known it was safe for human consumption, and the guide even had instructions on how to butcher, clean, and cook, several types of aquatic animals. A few strange types of birds decided to descend on the innards that were tossed out, and the various bones were picked up by the creatures as well. Meat was set to cook in a large pot, making Rey's mouth water. Most of it would feed the troopers, there were a few slabs cooking, which would go to the officers, and probably Ren. 

It was easy to chat with the troopers. "So, why don't they usually give out these kits? Wouldn't it be smart?" she questioned. Nix, the oldest of the bunch shrugged. 

"They used to, but that was when the majority of us were clone troopers." he answered, and ladled out a bowl for her. 

"Rey, you can eat with us." Ren told her, he had nearly sneaked up behind her, and she flinched looking back up towards him. 

"No this is fine." she replied his eyes flicked to the troopers. Night had fallen, but with the various set ups the place was well lit. It was still chill, but a small bubble like shield generator had made things at least tolerable. 

"Why?" Rey blinked and shifted, taking a sip of the salty soup. 

"Because, they should be treated better, and probably...." she began and frowned towards him. "Trained better." she finished, swallowing down a small notch in her throat. He opened his mouth and closed it. "They are people Be...Sir, they deserve respect." Without a word he turned away from her a small twitch in his eye, she noted he didn't even eat with the other officers, instead taking a meal to a hut. They had gone silent as she spoke to him, and then more sort of whispers started up and she shrugged going back to the soup. 

"Ma'am...." Nix began and she turned to him, trying to resist the urge to lick the bowl clean. "It is not... my place to ask, but... are you standing up for us?" 

"Yes, someone should." she told him quickly, and tried not to flush at the quick reply. They shifted, and they smiled towards her, nodding. 

"Thank you, so you were the one to ask for these things?" he gestured around the camp. She nodded, and Nix held out his hand towards her. "Thank you a great deal ma'am. I will be proud to fight for you, if there is ANYTHING you might need, just ask any of us!" she shook his hand smiling towards him. 

"Really its nothing!" she told him, and that seemed to even make him happier. "I... I should get this cleaned!" she hedged waving the bowl lightly, it was quickly taken from her hands. 

"NO NO no ma'am, please, its a honor!" Rey flushed, and shifted a bit around them. 

"Really, Its nothing!" she said again, another quick series of whispers went up and Rey tried to look for something in her head to try to stop the fact she was apparently gaining loyal soldiers to her side. This didn't look good at all, from what she had gleaned, this was VERY bad indeed. 

"You should go and rest, we set up a place for you, I made sure you got some of the extra blankets and your own heater!" Fife told her, while her voice held a sternness it also now had a bright sort of flavor. "We'll take care of the dishes, you shouldn't worry about that!" Given an out from this Rey bowed towards them nearly in half. 

"Thank you all so much!" she left, and then grimaced face safely away when she realized that even THAT small reply would endear them towards her more. This wasn't good, it wasn't good, and as she passed the table she swiped up the broken saber and slipped into her designated hut. It was warm at least, and on a carved stone bed was piled with not only two extra blankets but also a sort of mattress pad. It was warm, and she snuggled into the bench and pad. Alone she could now dwell on that this island was familiar, it rang with it to her very bones. If it was familiar she knew that there would be some kind of temple up near a sort of mountain peek. Then there would be tunnels below, she only ventured there once, not long after Tekka had been hurt, looking for someway to help him maybe. The place scared her however, and she ran from that place too. 

She remembered that day, it was just after a raid from some bandits taking food and things the clan needed to live. Rey was desperate to prove she was useful, that she COULD be a vital part of the clan even as young as she was. Barely ten years old she had ran out into a star destroyer, and using only her own strength climbed into a dangerous area. Usually reserved for the very very experienced people, she had been pulling out parts when Tekka surprised her, and she fell. Tekka had gone after her, and in the tumble, broke his leg. They had to stay in the destroyer, and after that, his leg got infected. Rey desperately reached out towards that power she had felt from Luke's time, and that was how she was able to get enough items to get a doctor to at least help him. Every part of the pain, to the point where she could barely stand, retching out her stomach, was worth it to fix that. If she had never gone into that area, he wouldn't have been hurt. A tiny voice in the back of her head however decided to speak up. _"But that had made you both live didn't it?"_

She blinked in the darkness of the hut latching onto the voice. _"If you had never gone up there those people could have starved."_ it was true. She didn't know there was a lot of exposed wires, and still had a functioning security drone, but that thing never fired on her, it had at Tekka, and that was how that fall started. _"You got enough expensive parts to even help Tekka from that place, YOU dismantled that drone and got the doctor to come for him."_ Rey snuggled into her blankets a bit more curling into a fetal position. _"They survived because of you, they even trusted you to get food for their children, even after you left them."_ The leaving was because of the same reason, she could not longer stand living with the guilt, it was guilt wasn't it? But then that pushed her, pushed her further and further into taking risks, and all those risks pulled off. She not only lived, but THRIVED in a manner of speaking, because of that. Having time for herself, time to keep a speeder repaired, she had even taken the risk looking for light speed fuel where there should be nothing. More then a little bit of the guilt finally ease off her shoulders, and she fell into thinking of just how would this pass towards Luke, if she gained more loyal soldiers, maybe get a mass defection going, what would that do? She ignored it, for the dreamless sleep that came into her mind. 

* * *

Kylo Ren frowned when he finally felt Rey in the hut, he reached out to her mind, finding it troubled. She was thinking of Tekka, of how she had taken a great risk towards something no one would go near until the security drone had finally wasted out power, something that would take another few years. But he knew that those drones were only geared towards adults, it was a flaw in security actually. The mostly human sized troopers it was made so that it wouldn't fire on children, or smaller droids. Anything that wouldn't pass a certain threshold of size wouldn't be fired upon. But they didn't know that, and instead thought it would kill everyone. It wasn't just guilt in her, it was hurt pride, and he knew about that sort of feeling more so then guilt. Sitting on his own small bed he reached out into her mind speaking lowly. He breathed out and smiled when she latched onto his voice. He didn't know everything, but he did know enough, and eased her mind. 

It was just as she eased down into sleep, that he saw the thought of Luke. His heart raced, first in rage, but then with her sleeping, he carefully got up and slipped into her hut curious. She didn't even stir, but flinched a bit when he touched her head digging gently into her mind keeping her asleep was easy. He saw the conversations with Luke, and that anger simmered into him, she was going to be a spy? But there was no real care for Luke, she was doing this... for those lives lost. To desolate Star Killer base from killing more people. Pulling back he stared at her, and slipped back out of the hut. A spy, Luke wanted someone so vastly unprepared to be a spy. The troopers flocked to her, loyal to their bones because of her nature. Kind, and always thinking of others before herself, she wasn't exactly selfish, though that was a part of her. Guarding her food, hunched over the bowl, when he surprised her, those hands clenched over her bowl tightly as if expecting him to steal her food. He knew Snoke would want her dead right here and now. She was working with Luke, it left a bitter taste in his mouth, but... he looked back to her hut. 

_'She is loyal to me first.'_ he thought, and put his hands down on the stone bench, he hadn't put the helmet back on. She was, that was true. He could feel it in the force that she only listened to Luke for those dead billions. He has to protect her. He blinked staring down at the helmet, he had to protect her from Snoke. The seed was planted in him, he could see it, like the future rolling out, Rey would stand by him, even in front of Luke, maybe Snoke. If he helped disable that base, or... take over from Snoke and Hux. If he stopped this weapon, she'd not only stay by his side, but also do whatever he wanted. Her touch sent thrills through him, it had been so long since anyone had shown him anything less then scorn or fear. She wasn't afraid of him, wasn't afraid to touch him. His brain latched onto it so quickly it made him shiver. 

_'Would her lips be soft?'_ he wondered, and shook his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. He knew her as a kriffing CHILD, why, HOW could he even think of her in such a manner. Maybe it was a sick part of him, but it did rise up and brush that sort of feeling out away from him. She wasn't a child NOW, hell, they didn't even see each other for more then ten years. He tried to feel sick at the notion, she was younger then him by ten years and some change, how could he feel such a want for intimacy? _'She can choose.'_ his mind supplied. He shivered again, staring right at his helmet. It was putting himself out there, letting him FEEL something good and warm. Snoke would despise it, or would he? A more clinical part of his mind, said that humans were often sole mating species, if he was HER mate, she'd be more loyal towards him. He wanted more of her touch, that much was in him, and he couldn't let go of that want. It circled his thoughts as he walked back into his hut and tried to lock it away, push it out of his mind. 

Ren frowned, daylight was creeping out into the planet, another sleepless night and he didn't even get any sort of progress in shutting out that want, he stood stretching out his limbs, too long legs, too long arms he thought, and exited just as Rey did for her own Hut. The two stone structures actually faced each other she smiled towards him itching the side of her neck flushing a bit. "Is... there a fresher unit?" she asked him, and flushed. She held her bag loosely in her hand and he realized he was staring at her instead of answering and looked away. 

"This way." he told her and walked down, nearer to the sea, nearly on the beach was a set of more tent structures. These ones however were far more covered and held a pipe and a series of pumps and filters to it. A small square on the side of the tent with supports was the water heater and he looked out towards the ocean as she cast a quick look up to him and then back. A large grey-black expanse of clouds was surging out towards them promising quite miserable weather and he spied another island somewhere on that horizon as the sun rose up over the edge as well. 

"Thank you...Ren." he made a noise as she slipped into the tents and walked back to his hut, gathering up his own change of clothes he took his time in going back to shower as the rest of the camp started up on its daily chores. She was just exiting when he went in, her skin flushed and wet, clothes nearly clinging to her, she must of not had the forethought to bring a towel.

"Rey," he began and she paused blinking at him. "Luke was here, that is enough for me to start training you." he told her and she smiled, part of him felt warm at the smile he had to ignore it and look away from her. "We'll start after breakfast." She reached out and touched his arm and he had to fight to not pull her into a hug and maybe something more. 

"I hope you're a better teacher then Luke." she told him and despite the mention of Luke he felt even warmer at the notion. Squaring himself up he blinked when he felt part of him lips curl up in a smile, too late to take that back. So he let it stay for her. 

"I will be." he promised and got a quick giggle from her, she lightly squeezed his bicep before nearly fleeing up to the main camp. He had to make sure the water would be cold, he took no chances with the coming storm at being alone with her, and alone for some time to come. Lest his body turn traitor at that knowledge. He'd rather be shriveled mess, there was no way he could allow himself no matter what his brain said to touch her. 

* * *

 

Rey reached out to him and touched his arm, his skin under her hand jumped at the contact and she got the distinct feeling that maybe she should hug him again. "I hope you're a better teacher then Luke." one of his eyes twitched just before he stood a bit straighter and smiled. That was more like the Ben she knew, he seemed to hunch himself for the most part, almost like he expected at any moment an attack. 

"I will be." he promised and she giggled. Of course he would be, Luke was a distant sort of teacher, Ben preferred more hands on approach. When he had been set to teaching the others like her, he always showed them how to do something first then guided them. Luke expected them to excel at everything, Ben didn't. Like he expected them all to need help. If anything that was one of the reasons why she stuck to him. She squeezed his arm, and for a single second marveled at the muscle there then without a word fled. Shutting down her mind from the thoughts that would come up lest she allow them to Rey busied herself in helping with the breakfast. She set out a few lines to catch food when even those little bird things didn't seem to be wary at all of the people. She bent down at one and offered her hand, it sniffed it, and she with one finger scratched just behind the hole for its ear. 

It cooed and closed its eyes in pure bliss, leaving her with a smile. A traitor part of her brain decided to finally speak up, it had felt really nice to touch his arm and feel that muscle. What would it be like to hold him again? Well to have HIM hold her, to have him even just put an arm around her waist leaning in to-Rey shook herself before that traitor in her mind could supply more. Staying busy by butchering another large fish hands working to rid finger nail sized scales off the creature. Rey frowned at them, flaking them off into a larger collapsible bowl, she wondered to keep her mind busy, if they could be dried and turned into decorations. Necklaces maybe, or even like one of the scaled beasts of Jakku, into weapons. THAT creature was huge, a long serpentine creature with scaled that were actually the size of her whole head. It was said that they were on board one of the destroyers and were freed when it was brought down. 

These large creatures thrived in the desert of Jakku, eating the unwary lone travelers. Its why she chose a speeder over a beast that she could maybe eat when it died. The beast would draw the serpent, and then she'd be with nothing, a speeder could get her out and away fast. When one died, there was something of a party at Niima, Rey had stayed fairly far from it warned by Tekka not to eat it. That much was true, anyone that had eaten it were miserably sick for weeks, or months. A few even died as a result, the remains were just taken to a pit a buried after that. The scales however, Rey had gotten several, one of which she had fashioned into a small knife. THAT knife was likely moldering away in storage somewhere in the First Order. Metallic and hard almost like real metal. 

"So ma'am, which planet are you from?" one of the officers asked. The two officers, stood iddly by choosing to eat with the troopers and her. He looked down at her with a long sharp nose. The man wasn't that old, probably between her age and Ben's. 

"I'm from Jakku." she told him and he nodded. "Nowhere basically." she added and the man shook his head. 

"NO not at all! Jakku is actually a important place in empire history!" he told her and she blinked at him. "It was the place where the last battle took place. The Empire had mostly broken up, and the largest group moved to Jakku to recover and recoup possibly. The rebellion, or I suppose the _REPUBLIC,"_ he hissed the word, "Now, attacked them mostly defenseless targets. She gaped at him, they... wouldn't! The rebellion wouldn't attack defens-Rey thought about the history of her home world that she knew, never in her life did she hear about people finding working weapons. Oh sure blaster rifles, but most were long used up of any sort of... Rey closed her mouth and frowned. Weapons were long since dried of any sort of ammo, she always figured that was the first thing to go, and lets face it, it would be. So it _COULD_ be true, she'd have to learn more to know for sure. 

"So you were what there?" the other officer asked, this one was much older, and the defacto leader other then Ren. 

"A... scavenger, I'd go into the ships and find parts to sell." she told them. The two officers nodded, and took the meal proffered towards them by the troopers. They seemed mystified these two were eating in any sort of nearness to them. "Sell for food mostly, I was part of a clan... the one that..." she gestured towards Ren where he had finally appeared blinking at the scene before him. All eyes turned to him briefly. "He attacked, but not really. I had... distanced myself from them for a few years." They nodded, and a few troopers looked a bit dissatisfied, but the officers seemed sated with the explanation. 

"Food, not cash?" Spoke up one trooper, Rey glanced towards him. 

"There wasn't much money on Jakku, if you found something valuble it... is very hard to actually find someone to sell to. I know Unkar would have cheated me out of a ship I bought from him had he not wanted the light speed fuel I found..." she dropped off and glanced up to Ren who stood just outside of the circle shifting. 

"I'm sorry to hear your clan is dead ma'am." One of the officers bowed his head and a small scoff burst out from her lips before she could stop it. 

"Its nothing really..." she tried, and desperately looked for why she could scoff at him being sympathetic. Okay she _WAS_ relieved she was no longer part of the clan, no longer tightly tied to helping them. Sure it cost the lives of those she knew and did care about, but at they _DID_ use her. "they... used me to feed their children more then once, rather then... plan to feed them." A few nods and Nix this time spoke up. Ren slipped by, gathering a bowl silently. Everyone was more focused on Nix then to note him. 

"I was part of a mining planet, after the rebellion got rid of the Empire... well everything went horrible. I remember that several people had to resort to eating sentients to survive. When the First Order took control it was a relief. The rebellion didn't seem to care we needed help. I was just barely recruited into the empire when that happened..." Rey nodded listening to him. The rebellion didn't have much a presence on Jakku either. Not even after the battle, going back to their bases to let the people on the surface to death with the aftermath. She felt something tighten in her chest, and ignored it. 

"I was born into the First Order." Fife said proudly, Rey nodded and smiled. Unsure of exactly how to respond to that. 

"Nix, was it?" One of the officers asked, and the older trooper stilled. "If you were a trooper then, and now why haven't you moved up into the ranks, surely you have earned it." Nix chuckled, and shook his head. 

"Don't have the mind for it sir If I may be candid. I'd rather stick to the simple things." Seeing the out, Rey set her bowl down, and slipped out towards Ren. He was eating by himself, in a mechanical sort of way. She could hear the two groups chatting behind her and looked to the nearly forgotten helmet still lying on that stone table. 

"Ben...oh, sorry." she began and he looked up to her. 

"No, its fine. You may call me Ben." he told her and she felt a grin take her features as he stared at her. _'kiss him'_ her traitor brain told her and she told it to shut the kriff up. Ben wouldn't see her like that, he couldn't see her like that. He was untouchable nearly godlike, and she was just a dirty rat clinging to his coat tails. Nothing more then dust in his wake as he rose among the stars.

* * *

 

Be-He shook himself Ren looked away from her, at some point above her head, and motioned her away. "There was a temple nearby, it will be the better place to start." he told her and she nodded. The temple should be along a small path and in more of a cave then a temple. 

"Watch out for that step." Rey warned, and he stalled, looking behind her towards her. "Its loose." she explained, placing his boot onto the step it was indeed loose and he skipped it silently pondering how she could know that. 

"You've... been here before?" he questioned lightly. 

"Only in my dreams." she said lowly, and he paused just at the entrance of the temple casting a glance back towards her. "An old man found me in my dreams and he guided me here. He never talks much to me, and never... stays near. He promised this place provides peace." she explained brushing past him into the temple hardly glancing around the open chamber. There were no sections off it, it was a vast sort of place echoing with the sound of her steps. In the edges of the chamber, carved out were large egg shaped hollows meditation nooks he figured. In the very center of the temple was a low pool, and she walked to it looking down at it as he followed her. It was some time of balance symbol, a humanoid figure with a saber in his lap slicing him in half. One side was black, and the other was white, the jedi, he knew it had to be, was some kind of humanoid, with sharp angled features and yellow green skin. It was a mosasiac and whether it was a realistic depiction of the person depicted was probably long lost knowledge. 

"It is peaceful here." Ren told her and she turned to him with a smile, another glance around and he saw an opening and a outcropping there, and motioned out towards it. He knew that she hadn't likely connected to the living force, Luke saved THAT lesson for older students who could stand against the tide and not loose themselves in it. "Sit here." he put a hand on the rock and she shifted a bit before doing so, crossing her legs and putting her hands on her knees waiting for him. He dared to put a hand onto her shoulder leaning close to her. "Close your eyes and reach out with your feelings towards me." he decided in the moment he wanted to guide her towards the force. It could take a long moment, and could be overwhelming. He knew that more then anyone living he supposed. It had been a long time since he himself had reached out to it, to scared that it would shirk away from his grasp if he called to it instead of demanding it bent to his will. 

"Okay." she mumbled and closed her eyes, he felt her reach for him, and her hand rose up and covered his on her shoulder, before she connected to him through the force. Again he could see the conversations with Luke, how he had tried to train her to shield herself, she was strong, unskilled. He'd teach her to shield far better then that _'imagine a wall in your mind and keep it between you and the people around you'_ he told her. There was time to teach her how to properly shield, so instead, he kept himself closed from her, and guided her out into the living force. It responded, nearly pulling Rey from his grasp into it, but he held fast to her, acting as her anchor. She could have drifted off lost into the will of the force, it had happened to one student of Luke's, they were alive, but their mind was gone, lost into the living force. Luke desperately tried to find the student, to no avail. Ben wasn't sure if that one was still alive, their parents had taken him away. 

"What do you see?" he asked her, both with his voice and mentally as she swooned, he was keeping her propped up. 

"Life..." she spoke distantly. "Death, warmth, cold light..." she was silent for a little bit, and he sensed then something like a chill up her neck and his own. There was more then just the light side of the force here. A dark nexus of the darker side of the force was on the island, he could feel it call to her, and to him at the same time. "I see darkness..." she said lowly. "Its calling to me." Ben squeezed her shoulder as she tensed. Reminded of him there, she relaxed. 

"What does it say?" he asked her calmly. Her eyes flickered under her lids. For a moment she was lost, but then came back, the ground was shaking a bit, but other then that she slowly with his help slipped back into her body. Her hand on his went a bit limp and then she snatched it to rest back into her lap, he retreated from her, letting go of her shoulder waiting. 

"It... it wants me to visit this dark place." she told him and he nodded, he could get the same sort of feeling now that he was actively looking for it. "It said it had... answers for whatever I want." she was looking at him, and he knew she was afraid. Slowly so that she was aware of the movement he pulled her into a hug against his chest cradling her. She relaxed further, one arm circling around his waist and the other over his heart. _'kiss her, kiss her now'_ his brain told him. He bent down and pressed his lips onto the top of her head. 

"It may or may not. The... dark side of the force as Luke puts it sometimes does have answers. Most of the time it does not." he told her and she nodded lightly, pulling back with a grateful smile. 

"What... what is the dark side of the force?" she asked him and he rose his hand brushing back a few unshed tears about to spill over from her eyes. 

"Think of it..." he paused thinking of how she might understand it. The storm was just about to reach them and he gestured towards it. "Like this storm, the light side is this." He gestured towards the clear sky behind them. "The clear skies, the peace, and possibly even light soothing rain, the dark side is a storm, violent and lashing. Lightning, and destruction." he explained. "Just as needed as such things. There are whole ecosystems on planets that require FIRE even to breed and to survive. Storms cause such fire and it sweeps through the world and from that ash new life is born." 

"Thank you, I felt you... keeping me from being overwhelmed." she told him and put her hand on his arm again. She flushed and drew it back and moved to sit with her legs overhanging on the rock. 

"Wait." he said and held up a hand. She paused looking to him. "First other lesson, I'll teach you how to shield your mind. It will be important. I can sometimes see what you are thinking." her face drained of color, and he sensed fear clutching at her. He wouldn't press it, let her reveal what she was really here for. It was more then an opening for her. 

"Yes... please." she said lowly and looked away from him down to the ground. He sighed, and paced around so he was in front of her. 

"I want you to build a wall in your mind, when you are done I'll see how good it is." he told her. She screwed her face up. 

"Build?" she questioned and looked up to him before looking back down at his boots. 

"Surely you have seen walls in your life. Build one up here." he tapped her forehead. She glared at his boots before closing her eyes and sighing. It took what seemed like a long moment before she nodded. 

"Done." she said, and he reached out, he could see it, a low stone wall of loosely piled rocks. He knocked it down with nothing more then a flick. He felt her panic but he didn't press any further. She was desperately trying to build it back up. 

"No, a better one." he told her. "You know what makes a building sturdy don't you?" Rey frowned, and her wall became more then a low stone wall, now the stones were uncased with crete. A mix that when added to various things hardened to make sturdy structures. It was another flick of mental force that he broke that too, punching tiny holes before hitting it with force. "Weak. Make it better." now she was angry and frustrated. Her wall became something like he would use, a high wall of steelcrete, encased in thick metal, did he spy a few turrets on top? But then with a low snap, blocking him now from her mind, she imagined a shield generator like the one that kept the camp slightly warmer. "Perfect." he told her and she blinked up at him. "Try to keep that in your head, make it almost second nature." 

"I... thanks, again Ben." she told him, he couldn't feel her thoughts anymore and swallowed down before moving away from her. "Ben... if... if..." she worked her mouth open and closed as he stared towards her. "If Luke hadn't... tried to kill you what would things be like?" He blinked, and glanced to her and away, she shifted and bit. "Nevermind, its stupid." 

"Why do you ask?" he questioned, and moved away back out towards the troopers. It felt like little time had passed, but already they were preparing for a midday meal. Hours had passed, most of them had been set to the task of scanning the island and its structures in more minute detail then the orbital scans that were done before the landing. 

"I... just thought maybe... if that never happened, maybe we'd be... together." her hands almost moved to rub her palms together, before she wiped them onto her front, nervously. 

"Its possible, but we are together NOW." she flushed, and flinched at the first bit of rain that proceed the thick wall of clouds. "I wouldn't think of what if's. Its more of a torment then you should put yourself through." he told her. Oh he'd done it enough until his mind felt numb. What if, what if Luke had killed him, what if he had really killed Luke. What if he had killed everyone there. What if he killed his father and mother. It was all a torment of unknowns and here, with Rey, or maybe here for the island he could forget them and leave them in the back of his head. _'what if she liked you? You could MAKE her like you.'_ that sick part of his mind supplied. "Go get your meal, that is enough for now, if the rain passes before night we can train on forms. I'll repair the saber Luke had here, it should work as a training saber for you until he can make your own." 

"Ben?" she asked and again put her hand onto his arm. "I'm glad its you here. I'd hate to think of what it would be like if LUKE was the one teaching me." He smirked towards her more then just a bit of pride in him. 

"Luke was a horrible teacher." he told her simply and her nod said it all. He took that saber, he could feel his grandfather in it distantly, he knew it belonged to Vader, in the same way that mask in his room belonged to his grandfather. He was sure the man didn't mind him fixing it enough that it could be used again, oh but those thoughts decided to surface again as he repaired it. Seditious and disgusting, about what it would feel like if they were naked and hugging. More then hugging, with her breathing out moans. "Kriffing hell." he mumbled, and made sure that the saber was set to a setting that would ensure she wouldn't slice her hand of it. He was done just as the storm finally hit the island. Lightning crackled the sky and thunder followed it. He stopped the rest of the thoughts from reaching him by instead focusing on combat forms he had both learned and made himself. 


	6. Synonymous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ren explore the island and find a tree, Hux seethes.

Of all the things Hux could imagine, getting not only twenty, but also two more reports about the girl is not something on his list. He personally warned both officers and both were praising her. He rubbed his temple reading the reports, he could have a droid go through them and often did, but he tagged each one that had her mentioned for personal review. 

_"The woman Rey Tekka is ignorant of the intricacies of the First Order, the troopers trust her as her ignorance and her kindness towards them are genuine based. Though with your warning I was wary, I soon came to realize that it is indeed just a part of her character. She seeks the well being of any under her care and charge and those not. I do not think she would survive the inner workings of rank, and if I may be frank I am glad she is not going to be placed under direct control of anything. In a place like Ren's is a better placement for her, or I would suggest placing her within the medical corps. Where her empathy and kindness will be better served. Sir, if she is a spy then she is not a skilled one, a spy advocates for secrecy and a unnoticeable place. Or noticeable in their place but not thought of. She gains loyalty not out of control or respect, though the troopers do respect her, the gain is from her loyalty towards them. I am sorry General Hux, but I do not feel well in thought in considering being harsh with her and reprimanding her actions. While she does not know any better after the standard calculations I have found that morale, ever a tenuous thing, is up at least by 34.7%. I would like to submit to action that whatever changes she had done are to be enacted on small scale. --With deepest respects Commander Calmon Kaiser"_

Now even people who SHOULD be wary of her were gained in loyal aspects towards her. It shouldn't be allowed, it should even happen at all. Troopers were more then just a bit wary of those kinder to them, it was after all a part of their education. The kind wanted something from them, they'd be spies, those who want to undermine the will of the First Order, defectors. The one thing that would keep this together was cohesion, everyone knows their place and follows orders. Even he did so, he felt a migraine threaten to start in his head. A raise in morale, by such a margin was nearly unknown to him. Morale was important for any army, he knew that much, and it was hard won and hard gained. One can not expect even someone trained since birth to be utterly under full control, the long used clone troopers could be accounted for in morale as well. Despite their programs and such there were still those that were... aberrations as it was called. Individuality in them were not entire allowed, they were nothing by clones after all. This was also in place in his and his fathers system. However, those that showed promise were granted names, granted leniency and even more things. 

To have someone, an officer advocate for unearned things for troopers was a ridiculous notion that he would have scoffed at the notion. A trooper who'd take risks is the only one who would get rewarded, there was a system in place. You lead the charge, you get rewarded. Even that trooper that defector, FN-2187 was in place for advancement. Then again, there was also those that were more complacent, more willing to take orders without thought that were advanced. Hux sighed, and placed a request for medication to treat the oncoming migraine. He was so very angry at the moment, and there was little he could do. If he TRIED to punish the girl in the manner as befitting that he knew of then he'd face Snoke himself. It wouldn't be something he wanted to ever face. So how to go about educating such a girl? Kid gloves, rewards, giving out sweets for correct behavior, that more then likely wouldn't be something to be done. He sighed, and the droid delivered the medication and he quickly took it without using the proffered water. 

He shelved the matter in his mind to attend to the things that Ren seemed to have no patience for, he had to fix that loop hole that allowed the girl to requisition supplies. That was something he had not expected to happen, and he had to set to fix it to assure it didn't happen again. It wouldn't do at all to have someone uneducated thinking that they knew how to set up a troop for a scouting party. Or anything for that matter. Extra blankets would have been allowed, but survival kits? When they had easy access to the Finalizer? Already a small drone was delivering more food for them. The headache started to worsen in his head, but he ignored it. Once done he had at least thought of another way to fix such a problem. A schedule. A hard schedule for the girl, he'd leave it mostly open towards Ren but have a set time when he himself had his own personal time, in order to fully educate her. Perhaps the matter wasn't that she wasn't reading the matters he provided her, but could be more meek in seeking questions to be answered. Once the set times were done, she'd follow them to the letter leaving her with little down time to gain more loyal troopers. 

* * *

 

The storm faded quickly, it blew away long before night fell and Rey smiled marveling a bit at the rain as it fell down onto the island. With the door open she could hold her hand out and let the water run across her hands. Bringing it up to her lips it brought a satisfying fresh taste with only the lightest tinge of salt from the spray of waves from the wind. It had been years, over a decade since she had experienced rain, and settled on the happy memory leaving her a warm sort of feeling in her. 

It was maybe a week after Rey had been taken from everything she knew and without much pomp placed in a group of kids all older then her, as the youngest of the entire school Rey went to the first person who she felt like could protect her. It happened before on Jakku. One of the bigger races of humanoids, a almost dog like being, she latched to her while under Unkar. In exchange Rey gave her some of her own salvage, but she offered protection from the teens and even adults. It wasn't until Luke found her at nearly seven years old that sort of exchange was deemed as odd. It wasn't as though everyone was horrible, but Ben had been one of the first students she met. He yelled at her to stop crying, and she latched to him. Knowing if she did what he wanted, mostly fetching things, then he'd protect her and he did. It was the same as Jakku, and that eased her into the school faster. She didn't spend much time looking up at every one or things. Jakku's sky was a blasted sort of red color from all the sand, this world held a mix of greens and blues and while it was a marvel, it had grown old. So when the storm started it was a surprise. 

Rey stood frozen next to Ben as with a mental flick of that strange power that had been tugging at her consciousness for that whole week, put some sort of soft shield around him. It had the run off right onto her head, but she could only blink up at the sky in pure utter shock. Water, so much water, if she could bottle it and save it she'd not only be rich she could even pay people to do things for her. Had she been on Jakku. Her hands looked a lot tinier then as she cupped the run off in them, Ben paused as if realizing she was still sticking to his side as he went off with a small group of people. These were his friends, and he quickly moved that shield so it covered her too. "Rey? Are you okay?" she realized that she was crying, but she wasn't sad, she was happy, so happy she couldn't do anything but cry. 

"Is.... is this rain?" she asked him, rain was something she had only heard about. One of the group chuckled, nearly laughing before Ben shot him a glare, anger flashing in him. He crouched down by her with a soft smile. 

"Yes it is." he told her simply, and put a hand on top of her head. "Guess what, in a few months it will snow too." he blinked at him in utter confusion. Snow was unknown word to her. "Snow is FROZEN water in small pieces. Kinda like seed fluff." she gaped at him. Unable to process it, he laughed then, but it wasn't out of meanness, or anything. Just a laugh that she was so astonished that these things existed, and that she'd get to experience them. He stood and looked around briefly. Now his grin was savage, and he grabbed her and dumped her with a cry into a small puddle of water. Swearing profusely at him she ineffectively kicked at his shins. 

"I DIDN'T NEED A BATH YOU BANTHA-BUTT!" she yelled. But he scooped her up, and dumped her down again. This time she kicked the water at him, and then the other teens, as they avoided the spray with happy yells. They were all, mostly her, completely soaked by the time they went into the mess hall. The kitchen droid, some kind of truly ancient thing screamed at them in barely understandable basic. She was cold and nearly shivering but she was now well and truly happy, finally feeling like she actually belonged. 

Despite the rest of the memories tinged with the knowledge of the well, mass slaughter, it was still a happy memory. One thing Jakku taught her as she grew up was savor the happy memories and just ignore the bad ones. Otherwise you'll always be miserable. She could enjoy the happy memories, shoving down the horror that she still shied from. Drawing back away from the door she stared at the storm, it was now passing off, quickly moving somewhere else. So Ben had killed or helped to ill the majority of people she knew then.... and now. Pragmatism, that was what she needed, the world changed, it always did. What did it matter that most of the change she had experienced was violent death? Sure she could be upset that Ben had killed practically everything she had ever known and cared for, but at the moment, with that base lingering around just waiting to be used to kill billions? 

After that place was disabled permanently, or destroyed she could focus on that. Instead... Ben was still Ben right? Could she turn him? Could she get him to disable or destroy that base? She glanced up at where his hut was, where she could hear him doing something. He called himself Kylo Ren, he did horrible things all for this Supreme Leader Snoke. She didn't know the man, creature what have you, nor ever wanted to meet him. Luke was a no go in how to help him, Luke was really the root of this whole problem. She wouldn't have to face any of this if he hadn't been so stupid and mean. That tight coil in her chest tightened up, and she knew was it was. Resentment. She was put into a situation that she could most definitely not be able to do much but hope for the best, and it was his fault. Maybe he sensed her thinking of him but Luke materialized in her hut, like a hologram flaring to life. 

"How are you doing Rey?" he asked gently. She ignored him, the rain edge could be seen now, the sun making a halo of colors out on the sea. "REY." he stated firmly. 

"I don't want to talk to you." she told him quietly and he frowned sighing. 

"I know you hate me." she looked to him and then back. "I am sorry, how many times do I have to say it?" She looked to Ben's hut. 

"Its not me you have to apologize to." Luke looked to her and then out from her. 

"He wouldn't ever listen." Luke stated simply and Rey scoffed, ignoring everything else Luke could say until he finally just gave up vanishing a few moments later. She watched as Ben exited his hut looking up at the sky, and she found herself focusing on that hug he had given her on the rock. How his arms felt around her, and then she thought she imagined it, but he did kiss the top of her head. Her nerves tingled at the knowledge, and she found herself smiling despite trying to look serious as he glanced to her and then away. It was still Ben, it wasn't this monster she had heard of, she walked up to him and quickly stared down to the hollow of his throat. 

"Are you ready?" he asked her, and the voice was a bit strained. Her stomach crawled a bit in hunger, it was reminding Rey that she had spent several days very well fed by her own notion and wasn't about to skip any meal. He chuckled, and she flushed. "I can help you prepare food." he told her and she grinned looking up to his face. He was still staring at her, but now he was holding up a partial black, and partial white metal saber. "I was able to get this fixed using the kit I have to repair my saber." he explained. She took it, and still no vision and sighed in relief, she was able to strap it to her side using a bit of cloth as the camp emerged from the shelters and began a lunch. The troopers seemed frozen in how he was able to cook, just staring at the two. The officers were rooted to the spot before issuing orders to help with the cooking, the wonder broken up lunch was now a mostly silent communal meal. 

* * *

 Ren faced off from Rey, and he took her through a few swings of the laser swords. His stances were mostly modified from what he learned with Luke. By the time they both were panting they amassed something of a crowd. She had made progress, and by the time he was even warmed up she was sweating and glaring at him. "you're unfair." she breathed out sweat making her hair cling to her hair. He grinned towards her, and there were a few mummers of the troops. 

"No I have more practice." he told her simply, and she shut the saber off. He loved the way that the sweat rolled off her temples and had a-he shut off his own saber, and shifted away from her. "The survey, it said it had a tree on the island. To keep your muscles from building up in lactic acids you should...we could walk there." He vied for a clinical explanations, and she just nodded at him. 

"Its this way I think." she motioned her head and grateful that she was first he followed her out of the island, waving a hand to keep the troopers in place. There was nothing here really of value anymore, and they would leave in the morning. Even if this tree contained carvings, it was nothing a drone couldn't examine. She was cooled down by the time the tree came into sight and blinked at it, before heading up and putting her hand onto the trunk. The tree looked dead, as if it were nothing more then a gnarled piece of beach litter. "This... this was..." she began and pulled her hand away. "Luke was here, this was a library, he took books from inside of the tree....I... can almost... see it." 

"Post cognition. Its a... force power." he explained towards her. "You might have the knack for it." she smiled towards him and slipped into a crack in the trunk, he followed just behind her, and found the area not exactly carved. He had heard of distant worlds of the locals on the planets slowly guiding trees into shapes over the course of years and this was the only thing he could say had happened. Inside there was a low chair, and a shelf that must have contained books of some sort. Rey had placed her hand on the shelf and her eyes were distant, nearly vacant taken by the force vision. He could sense the force, swirling around her he left her, and looked to his hand. Pulling off his glove he touched the same shelf, leaning his body to the side in the small space to avoid touching her. What he saw, may or may not what she was seeing. 

Luke was much older then he remembered him being, with gray hair stringing about his face and beard which had grown nearly wild. He came in and grabbed the books, fumbling with them for a moment before running out. His eyes tracked Luke to his old X-wing which was in the vision parked just outside onto the beach that expanded out away from the tree. One book fell out, and he didn't go back for it. Ben left Rey to her vision, this wasn't any danger just yet, and followed Luke's progress towards the book. He found it, and bent down over it. Warily he touched it with his ungloved hand and got the sense of age, but nothing else. Picking up the sandy book it was dry, as if no water touched it ever, and dusted it off. The book was constructed of leather, and animal hide pages, from the looks of it. It was worn, and he opened it, seeing even more worn pages with a little sneer on his face. Most of them could barely be seen worn with time. Of the few things he could see he knew it had to be some obtuse Jedi scripture. 

He slipped back into the tree as Rey finally came back to herself blinking and shaking herself. "What did you see?" he asked her when she turned back to him eyes looking to the book and then to his face. The space here was tiny, and felt cramped, he had to hunch himself into it and that left him closer to her. Her lips parted, and she licked her lips before speaking. 

"There was this... old man, the same one from my dream, he's the one who placed the books here. He talked with the people, fish like beings before he left." she explained and rubbed her eyes. 

"Do you know this old man's name? It could be important." she shook her head. "I saw Luke drop this." he said, holding the book to her, she frowned and he let her take it. Nothing happened, no flinch or vision and she relaxed her shoulders slumping, his hand reached out and he froze it before he could touch her shoulder. She solved his dilemma when she shifted, and leaned into him so that he could look over her shoulder at the book. She landed on some half time destroyed page, a mirror of the symbol in the cave, but this one without any humanoid in it. Just the saber splitting the symbol in half. Her back was warm, his hand, the ungloved one rose up and touched the back of her neck. 

The thought came up from her mind, he could more then just feel it. At this moment she wasn't thinking of shielding her mind, but she most definitely liked the way his hand was warm on the back of her neck. His whole body was warm in fact, and he was like her own personal heater. Having spent most of her life on Jakku a blistering desert with two suns most of the time everything felt chill in comparison. And there just for a moment before she locked it down in her mind behind her mental shield she wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him. It took all his willpower to not to react to that, she was cornered here, and that he could sense as well made her more then a bit wary. She was comforted it was him here, she wasn't scared of him, not this was ingrained fear from that scum planet. If he did gain control of Star Killer Base he was going to destroy it. 

"Um, this is the same symbol right? What does it mean?" She leaned a bit further into him, and he was nearly curled protectively around her, back flush with his chest. His breath tickled the fine loose hairs on her temple cheeks flushed red he slipped his hand down her back slowly tracing her spine. He felt her shiver his hand resting on her hip. 

"Its a symbol of balance, the Jedi saw balance as pure light. The sith as darkness." he explained and she nodded. 

"Can... can we go back to camp?" she asked him in a low voice. He nodded, lips nearly touching her clothed shoulder before he slipped out away from the tree, sliding his glove back over his hand. She shoved the book under her arm holding it tightly to her side as she excited and he questioned himself on just how to advance this. She was attracted to him and that knowledge made him swoon, gravity nearly toppling him over as they walked silently back to camp. Once they arrived, he had decided on just how to go about it and smiled a tiny smile towards her as the troopers gratefully welcomed her back. She treated them just like any other person she might respect and care for, the same for the two officers. Tomorrow they would leave, but before that... yes before they left he'd be able to pull her aside and kiss her on this island. Not some cold sterile metal corridor, though that was exciting as well. His hand itched with her warmth, it was spreading out into his nerves. While they were gone the troopers had gotten a shipment of food, and were preparing that along side two of the fish things, and a few of the birds. 

Rey smiled towards him, and despite the sort of painful sort of feeling rising up in him he went to her side and ate with the entire group. The troopers ventured a few questions towards him, and he answered the ones he deemed he should. Normally troopers gave him a wide berth, but Rey was the in, he felt more part of the First Order then, as they finished up the meal. They were accepting of him, despite the more then average rate of his explosive temper. Maybe it was the island, or her, but he felt calm, without the need to react or reach for anger to fuel him. That painful feeling, which made it hard to eat, he figured it must be anxiety, but she was the bridge, connecting him with the troopers. Maybe they weren't nothing, no, they had to be something. At least to her they were important, so by logic they were important to him. 


	7. Seeing Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last day on Ahch-to, Rey finds some truth, and a plot is formed.

Ren was part way through actually sleeping when the call came for him. It was a nearly crushing mental weight, and a summons on his personal communicator, it was a silent trip to the ship, and he closed it off locking the vessel down and waited. It took too long, his knees were aching by the time the holo projected into the small space, just as before, Snoke's presence filled the room and made it hard to even breathe. All the more so in this tiny ship. "So Skywalker had fled to the rebellion." Snoke said, Ren hissed out his breath but didn't react. "The general's spies have told me that he is often alone training." 

"The... Rey, he is in contact with her." Ren told him and nearly flinched when Snoke stared down at him. He didn't raise his eyes to his master, it was imparative he didn't. 

"Explain." Snoke's voice was colored by more curiosity then anger and Ren sighed. 

"Luke plans on using her as a spy, but her loyalty is more towards me then to him. Given time I believe I can turn her. He, projects himself towards her through the force, so far nothing he has done has endeared her towards him." Snoke made a single note of sound. Maybe a hum, and Ren finally looked up at his master. "I will turn her." 

"She will meet with me as soon as possible." he stated. Ren's heart gave a dull thud in his chest. "I will see for myself." 

"I understand." he said simply, and waited. Snoke seemed to take hours to respond, it was in this moment Ren blinked, his master made a hiss of noise, and that kind of mental weight on him shifted. He no longer felt that crushing weight on his mind, but he was too shocked to consider it. 

"You will train her, call in the other knights to help as well." Ren shifted, but bowed his head back down. "That is all, keep in mind BOY, that should she threaten the First Order then you are to kill her." He felt sick at the knowledge. 

"I understand fully sir, but she is no threat." he hedged that, and without a word of farewell Snoke vanished, leaving him alone in the transport. He stood, wincing at the aching that started in his knees before he left the transport. Rey was waiting for him with the others, chatting about the troopers usual routines. While in a spy it would denote wary, he could feel that it was general interest. Asked mostly just because of the dearth of topics, even the officers seemed to note this, detailing a few of their duties. She turned to him and smiled holding her hand out for him to take, while there was a sudden hush, he took her hand and sat by her. A bowl of thick grain-meal was put in his hands and he saw Rey taking what had to be seconds from the remains in her bowl. 

"So, what do you usually do sir?" she asked him, careful to remain respectful around the others. 

"Train." he stated simply and she gave him a incredulous look. "Go over plans that I should be able to know. Coming from... where I did I can give insight into various maneuvers that the Rebellion does. Usually I am tasked with doing things that require... finesse." She chuckled a bit. 

"Yes I saw that." she joked, and he found a small smile pull at his lips. She forgave him? He probed a tiny bit into her mind, and was surprised even with the mental shield she was focusing on he could move past it easily. She really didn't hate him, while she may not ever speak it she had forgiven him for what he had done to her. All the blame for THAT was shoved onto Luke. If he was alone with this, or with her he might have pressed it, taken her regardless of comfortable surroundings. Instead he ate, watching as she nearly gobbled down her food. She savored the portions of meat and bread, and probably would have licked the bowl clean had he not nudged her. "Training?" she asked and he nodded, she frowned a bit but the troopers gladly took their bowls. 

"What do you remember of the history of the Jedi?" he asked her focusing on that, it took more willpower then he knew he had to slowly guide her up to that temple. Another storm threatened towards them, this one a roiling black mass promising a rough takeoff. Rey paused to stare up at the clouds before blinking and turning towards him. 

"Not much, I remember Luke not liking you older kids playing spin the bottle." she told him mildly. He stiffened, she was there for that? Of course she was, he glared towards her and she giggled lightly. He relaxed with that and sufficed a small smile. 

"The Jedi were aesthetics, they eschewed personal attachments. Some I've read took it so far to become hermits back before the council formed." Rey nodded drinking in the information. "Why do you think the Jedi wouldn't want... mates, or dear friends?" he asked her. 

"Oh... because someone bad could kidnap them and force the Jedi to do bad things?" she replied and he nodded towards her. 

"But is it bad to love someone?" he told her, for a moment she stalled mouth open then she closed it. He recalled the memory from Luke, and the training. 

_"Ben." Luke scolded. " **You** can't be kissing the other students." _

_"WHY NOT? Its not like it was forced!" Ben's face was burning hot and he was angry. His instincts told him to punch Luke, instead he just grabbed the chair in front of him holding it tightly in his hands._

_"Ben, the Jedi never did these things. I've been allowing it since you are kids, but I have to warn **you**." The implication being that he was the only one who would do anything untoward. The very notion left him feeling sickened. Luke was always harder on him then anyone else, first it was pride. Now it was unfair, it was wholly unfair only he got this from Luke. The back of the chair snapped in his hands. "BEN." Luke warned. _

_"I'm sorry Master Luke. I'd like to request quarters away from the rest." he stated as tonelessly as he could. He couldn't bare to look at Luke._

_"Granted. Now go train." Luke waved his hand and Ben stormed out with a piece of the chair in his hands. Rey was by his side in a moment smile bright. He tossed the wood aside he'd probably be tasked with repairing said chair soon._

_"BEN AND JA-" he cuffed the back of her head before she could go off into that dumb kids song he taught her. "OW!" but she wasn't hurt as she rubbed the back of her head._

_"Do you want to learn how to lift objects?" he questioned. She brightened from her glare nodding to him, he felt a lot more at ease that he had someone there who'd never judge his actions. Rey was ignorant as a baby and she really didn't care for most of the histories or tales she was learning before she was to learn the force. It wouldn't hurt to give her a few lessons so that she excelled. If she excelled then he was a better teacher then Luke now wasn't he? The notion left him with a bit of a smile. Upset with Luke forgotten and gone at the moment. It would come back, it always came back, but now he could at least try to be happy._

"No, its not bad to care for people." she answered him and he nodded. "I mean Luke he cared for his family and Han so he went back, he knew that if he went back he'd never be a Jedi." 

"You know that?" Rey scoffed. 

"I've heard all the stories, even before Luke picked me up. Jakku may be a wasteland but we still had communication." she turned away from him, he reached out and griped her shoulder turning her towards him. "Ben?" 

"I am sorry for what I've done to you." he told her and she smiled towards him. 

"You've said that." she scolded, his hands moved slowly up, to the sides of her neck, she shivered, lips parting and her cheeks blushing. 

"Have you ever kissed anyone before?" he questioned. 

"Nn-no." she stammered, his hands cupped her cheeks next. He could feel her blush through the leather of his gloves, and ran his thumb across her lips, they parted and her tongue flicked out touching his thumb. 

"Do you want to learn how?" she shivered face nearly red as his saber.

"Ssss-sacrrrred island!" she hedged. He flicked his eyes up away from her to the temple around them then back to her. For a moment she was relieved as he moved his hands back down from her hot cheeks. 

"I don't care." She had a moment of surprise before he pressed his lips to hers. She gaped, and he used it to deepen the kiss, swiping her tongue with his own. It was just a second later she was pressing back, hands coming up to clench into the thick fabric of his tabbard. One of his arms circled around her waist pulled her closer to him, she moaned into his mouth. He pulled back and she panted a bit, then pushed a little at his chest. 

"THERE! LESSON DONE!" she was staring down at his chest, trying to push him away. But he held her fast his other hand traveled down brushing just briefly her breast before going around to her back hugging her. 

"Hmm... I don't think so." he told her lowly. He felt her shiver, and delighted in it. Her thoughts were a confusing jumble of feelings and half imagined scenes, him pushing her down to the ground, pulling off her clothes, sweeping her up to that rock she sat on earlier. He decided that was the best bet, and swooped her into his arms a moment later he laid her onto the rock and she gasped. 

"Be--Ben, you..." he pressed his lips to hers to silence her. He let his own mental shields drop just a little so that she could feel what he did. 

"I feel it to." he soothed. Her hands traveled lower as he kissed her again, pushing her more forward, so that he was looming over her on the rock as she worked at his belt. It came off with a click and then a dull metallic thud as she tossed it to the side, his hands worked at her tunic, pulling it off exposing her light undershirt. 

"WHY do you have so many kriffing layers." she mumbled fingers fumbling at opening his tabbard. He chuckled, and placed his hands over hers helping her to undress him. His tabbard was pushed off his arms, and she frowned at him. He still had two shirts on while he was pulling at the hem of her last shirt. All that would keep him from seeing her naked would be her brazier once he had it off her. He froze when he sensed someone coming up the stairs and into the temple. 

"Sir, ma'am!" called officer Kaiser. He turned to the commander, while she had gotten his tabbard off, she had not removed his cloak, and he extended his arm out hiding her lax state of undress."OH... umm...." the commander stammered. 

"What is it?" Ren demanded. Rey only took a few moments, and pushed herself past him, pulling her over shirt back onto her and grabbing his tossed clothes. The man straightened himself and took a gulp. 

"We were wondering if you wish to move out before the storm or after it." He said tonelessly. Rey helped him into the tabbard, and snapped the belt back on avoiding looking at the man her face was still red. 

"Rey?" Ren asked and she blinked and looked between the two. Her face was finally starting to drain of color.

"I would suggest before." she told him and glanced out at the storm clouds. "We don't know how long the storm may last." Kaiser nodded and turned away from the two. 

"I... will set to getting the camp broken down." He stated. 

"Very well." Ren watched him go and Rey sighed in relief. He turned to her and bit the inside of his cheek. 

"I'm sorry, Ben, I...." she began but he cupped her cheek into his hand. 

"Hmm?" he questioned, they were alone again. 

"You can't... you can't like me." he pulled her into a kiss. 

"Why not?" he asked her lowly, she gaped towards him. 

"Be... because its YOU!" the sort of accusation would sting. She thought of him as some unearthly thing? Well, he was one to break expectations. 

"So I'm not allowed to like you?" he teased and she flushed red. "If anything you're not allowed to like me." he said and she pulled away, for a panicked moment he thought he upset her. But she wasn't feeling upset, just a tiny bit irritated. 

"I can do what I want to do." she said and folded her arms across her chest. He laughed and reached for her, she allowed him to pull her to him, and he kissed the top of her head, breathing in her smell. 

"What do you want to do to me?" he asked her, bending down and gently taking her earlobe into his mouth. She made a strangled sort of sound, mental shields snapping up tightly in her mind. 

"WE... We need to go break down camp." He sighed, and kissed the side of her neck before pulling away. "Ben...?" she questioned and he paused looking back to her as he took a few steps. "How... I'm... nothing...compared to you." her shields faltered for the moment and he could feel her shock that he could even consider liking her. She thought so lowly of herself, holding onto what little pride in herself that she could with bitter resentment. He'd do more then just make her proud of herself, he'd make sure she was strong enough to keep it. His mind raced on how to reply to this. 

"Don't you have any pride?" he asked her and she glared to him, his tone was teasing and he rose her chin and stalked before him. Oh she was affronted, but that upset was gone. He followed her down to the camp were everyone was packing things back into the transport. 

* * *

 Rey was sure she was projecting herself and her desires onto Ben until he confirmed he felt attraction towards her. Him lowering his mental shields so she could sense his own arousal was a relief. He touched on her pride, what little of it was left and she couldn't stop herself from holding onto it. Of course she had pride, it might be small and pathetic, but it was there. She had been a promising student of Luke's, she had survived and thrived on a planet where people died everyday. Luke was waiting for her in the hut, and she ignored him to gather her things. "Rey. Have... you learned anything?" he asked her carefully.

"No. And if I did I wouldn't tell you." she snapped and frowned at herself. The reaction was too quick, to fast. 

"Rey." She turned on him anger flashing in her. 

"WHY COULDN'T YOU TAKE ME WITH YOU?!" she demanded, and then silenced herself. Luke blinked at her, then looked down and away mournful. 

"I was trying to protect you." he stated simply. 

"Ben wouldn't hurt me." He looked back up at her and she started stepping back away from that look. Luke may pretend he had no anger in him, but he was angry now. 

"He would have killed you, He WILL kill you if he knew you were talking with me." Rey frowned, and shoved the training saber into the bag. "You... have my-Vad..Rey you shouldn't have that." Luke said and she finaly turned on him with a grin. 

"Why not?" Luke put his hand to his face. 

"Rey, we need to destroy that weapon, don't forget that." she felt wounded at the reminder, it created something like an open sore, aching in lingering pain. "Please Understand that." 

"I understand LUKE." she hissed and put her hand on the door. "I... don't want to do this anymore." she whispered, Luke stood and reached for her but she moved out and away from him. He opened his mouth and sighed. 

"What happened that night, was the biggest mistake of my entire life." he told her and she looked back to him and then out to her door. He vanished the moment the door opened, and she slipped out. That dark pulse of the island stirred, and without a glance towards the troopers she walked towards it. She knew this island, and followed the pulse down from a small path. Those creatures fled her presence on the rocky island. Soon she found herself in the low wall of something like a bay. Only it was made of pure stone, under a outcropping was a platform of stone and nearly perfect hole. Ringed with thick green weeds Rey bent down by it and leaned down to see if there was something she could see. That darkness pounded in her ears in time with her heart. Placing her hand down it slipped in the wet weeds and trying to correct herself she tumbled, and with a bitten off cry felt down into the hole. 

She barely avoided drowning when she hit the water, body trying to gasp once it hit the cold water. Her instincts took over and she flopped herself down in the semi dark. What was pure darkness looking down was now a twilight dark, like a nearly moonless night in the sky. She was on a ledge dripping and cold, bag hitched carefully onto her back. Standing up she looked around, hoping there was a way out of the cave she had found herself in, but that hope was drowned out by the thick pulsing dark. **"HERE."** it demanded. Rey found herself face to face with a wall of what looked to be crystal, or glass. Smoke crazed the surface, making her form blurry and indistinct. A long crack went from one corner to the next, and she gasped in a breath not realizing she was holding it in. 

**"ASK. ASK ASK ASK ASK."** The pulsing dark commanded her in time with her heart beat. She rose her hand and touched the surface of the glass. There were suddenly hundreds or even thousands of her. All lined up, and all slightly delayed. Like she was being drawn into a black hole and her form was pulled off in fractals of herself. She knew in the dull sense it didn't go on forever, there was an advent horizon. But what to ask, what to ask? Her mind raced, she was trapped here, she could look back at herself, but her feet were rooted to the spot, making her unable to turn and walk out of this thing. Her mind pulled up her parents, she could finally see them couldn't she? **"YES."** The darkness answered her. 

"Ssshow me-" her voice caught before she could speak. "Show me the truth of that night..." she began, she was about to explain what night, but she felt the darkness pull at her stronger. Urging her forwards. Every one of her fractals stepped forward, each one vanished into that distance until it was just her, still in front of that mirror. The smoke that crazed the glass cleared and she could see it. There was her, vanishing in the background as Luke slowly walked towards the hut with Ben. It was a miracle he didn't see her, but she could sense now, the force shielding her. Of maybe that same old man who guided her in her dreams making sure Luke didn't see her. Or maybe it was this darkness, she couldn't tell. But she watched as the vision shifted, and she watched as Luke using the force silenced the door to Ben's hut. He had taken to sleeping in it not a month ago. 

He was having a nightmare, she knew that, he always had them just like her the moment she arrived on the planet. Luke stared down at Ben, and then reaching out with his gloved hand felt Ben in the force. But it wasn't just Ben, in the darkness of the night Luke couldn't see it, a few tears strained on his cheeks as he grimaced. But over Ben was a large and very familiar shadow from her nightmares, it hissed, not in pain, but in pure pleasure as Luke reflexively pulled out his saber and lit it. That made Ben flinch, but he wasn't scared just yet. He turned and looked at Luke, she could see the shadow, reaching out, and while Luke was about to toss the saber aside the shadow twisted the image into Luke raising it to Kill Ben. Ben reacted, grabbing Luke's old saber, the saber his grandfather used, the same one she had abandoned on Takadona, after it pulled her into a vision of fire and death. 

"BEN NO!" Luke shouted, Ben's saber connected with his, and reaching out Ben mindless with fear and panic called the stones of the hut to crash onto him, barely remembering to shield himself from the collapse. It took a moment for Ben to extract himself from the wreckage, and another long moment to have the other students to come rushing towards him. He felt numb, oh so very numb.

"Ben?!" One of the students someone Rey only saw never knew helped him out the rest of the way. Maybe it was his name or that they were all staring at him. 

"Luke tried to kill me." It was barely over a whisper. That, finally snapped him out of his numb shock. Anger bright and hot consumed him. "LUKE TRIED TO KILL ME!" the rest Rey didn't want to see. But was forced to witness unable to turn away or even blink. She was caught watching as Ben desperately tried to convince the others, only six believed him. Only eight made it out alive. Her Luke, Ben and the others. 

The fire was set to cover their tracks, for a moment Ben wavered as he watched the academy burn. But the anger came back, it solidified him ans sufficed him. The betrayal in his heart of Luke never would leave. Rey was left as they took one of the ships Luke used for trips. She watched as over an hour later Luke woke and pried himself out of the rubble. 

He sobbed at the sight of so much death. Then there she was creeping out among the darkness and flames. "Ben?!" She cried out. "Luke?!" She saw Luke rise his head towards her his heart broken. R2D2 wheeled up behind him and he placed his robotic prosthetic on its dome pushing himself to stand. With a crack in the air, Luke pulled at the force forcing it to rain. He raced towards her, grabbed her for the hanger and quickly getting the small x-wing out before it could be consumed in the flames. The rest she knew, and the vision faded leaving her on the floor with dried tears on her cheeks. 

She wasn't sure for who, but she knew they were there. Maybe she mourned for all those people who were dead now. The senseless slaughter, of innocents who were just as confused as Ben. But her mind snapped to working. That shadow, that thing that was there. What the hell was it? That was what she knew Luke felt, not Ben. She knew because she had felt Ben, and felt that shadow on him. She knew that now. 

Whatever it was Rey knew that it was the source of all this. LUKE was just as manipulated as Ben. Her anger at Luke was misplaced, this thing had manipulated the both of them, and she had to find out what. She knew it had to be something truly dark in the force, something well and truly evil. Rey couldn't imagine, couldn't even entertain the belief that Ben was as evil as Luke implied. Did the man have no hope? Rey pushed herself up and found an exit that wasn't there before leaving the darkness and leaving the cave. Not that far out she heard her name being called and looked up to Ben. His hair and eyes were a bit wild, but he looked so relieved on seeing her. She grinned towards him, feeling exhausted from the vision. "REY!" he called towards her. 

The rain started then, pouring down in heavy sheets, Ben paused before her, and she hugged him. It was far to dangerous to take off, so he pulled her into the nearest hut, which was Luke's and started a fire. "The rest are waiting in the ship." Ben told her before she could ask. "Where did you go?" 

"That... the dark called to me." he explained to him, he pulled out a small packet from one of his pockets, unfolding it, it was some kind of metal sheet, he wrapped it around her and the moment it did so the water that had soaked into her clothes started to heat up, creating a small cloud of steam and heat. Pulling off his cloak he wrapped that around her shoulders the next moment. She only realized when he sat down by her that she was still shivering, and tears still stood out against her cheeks. 

"Tell me what happened." she pulled the cloak further around her shoulders. It smelled like him, the fire finally started to warm up the hut further and she shifted settling a little deeper into the mat Luke must have used to sleep. 

"I felt it calling to me again, and when I got... got to the place it was some kind of hole in the ground. When I looked in I couldn't see anything, then I fell in." Rey chuckled a tiny bit. "I didn't know how to swim... but I got to this ledge with this glass wall." Rey sniffed, he reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it between his own. "I could hear a voice in my head, and it was telling me to ask something..." Rey paused she didn't know if she should tell him this. But, she let her mental shields down, she could feel him and pulled up the memory of just what she had seen and laid it bare before him. He stiffened eyes distant. "I... should have asked it about my parents. But I had to know the truth." she said simply. Ben blinked, and frowned. "Ben... how long has this thing been hurting you?" His hands were cold and limp over hers. 

"Ever since I can remember." he stated in such a low voice she could barely hear it. She moved and gently tugged at his hands, pulling him, closer to her. He followed the motion limply settling just beside her. She leaned into him, and at first he stayed stiff, but then relaxed circling his arm around her so she could pillow her head on his shoulder. "Rey..."

"I'll help you." she told him before he could continue. "I can... I'll try to protect you." 

"You can't fight him." he told her simply. 

"Then outlast him, its what I did when the sand storms happened. You just outlast them." Ben opened and closed his mouth but leaned into her, cheek pressing into the top of her head. He shivered, but nodded, just the lightest bit. 

"You are going to meet him." he stated blandly and a stroke of pure terror entered into her. "Concentrate all your willpower into shielding this, nothing else." she frowned, not-she pushed down the memories with Luke before they could reach him. "Trust me." 

"I never doubted  _YOU_." she told him and he shivered again pulling her into him further. His other hand rested onto her thigh and she very much enjoyed the weight of it. It was true, she'd not ever doubt Ben. Maybe not this thing that had been manipulated, had been nearly crushed into some kind of mold, but always Ben. 

"I can't protect you from him Rey." he sounded strangled, and she put her hand over his. 

"You don't have to, I'm stronger then I look." they locked eyes and he pulled her into a light kiss. 

"I know, and I'll make you stronger. We... we'll end his reign." he whispered, and she smiled, they stayed like that, effectively cuddling. Rey found herself dropping off into sleep. While she always had a restless sort of feeling in her, making sleep hard won, now finally she felt more at peace then ever before. The soft snoring beside her told her that he was asleep too. It was a second nature sort of thing, but she reached out, setting a 'trip' line as it were within the force. She had done it all her life, ever since she was a child, and never really knew exactly what she was doing. It was what drew Luke to her when he visited Jakku looking for force sensitive children. 

_Rey could see him, Luke as she tied to get some sleep in the hottest part of the day. She had just thrown up what little was in her stomach after being punched by Unkar. It was a fair hit, she had tried to hide a decent part from him to try to get more food. He had lifted the bulbous creature up, and she found herself blinking up as with a frown Luke set Unkar down. "I'm taking the kid. Slavery is illegal in case you've forgotten here." he told him in a very loud voice. Rey shook herself up and screamed. NO NO NO. She couldn't leave, her parents where going to come back, they HAD to come back. They were family, and family and clan were suppose to always come back for you. Luke picked her up, avoiding her feeble struggling and set her down at a small table. "First though, you are gonna get a good meal." Rey was wary, but at least she could have a chance to run after she ate. Luke smiled at her, kindly and just like an old man from her dreams. Something in her told her to trust him, and she did. Nodding over her food, feeling full for the first time in her life. It had come of more then a shock when she found herself on a ship deep in hyperspace. He never asked her if she wanted to leave._

**Author's Note:**

> Glossary:  
> Banlick- cowlick  
> crete- basically concrete  
> shield generator- its basically like a low energy field that can keep things warm/cold/shielded from weapons


End file.
